HE and FE reject poor pay offers

The GMB, UNISON, UCU, Unite, and EIS higher education unions have rejected an offer of 0.3% while the GMB, UNISON, UCU, Unite, ACM and ATL jointly rejected a proposed deal of 1% from further education employers.

The FE unions had claimed 6% with an underpin of £2,000 and expect further offers in forthcoming talks. The HE unions, told in March that they had to choose between jobs and pay, have been further disappointed by employers’ unwillingness to respond to calls for a national agreement on the avoidance of redundancies.

Jon Richards, UNISON head of HE, said employers had baulked at taking action at national level. Unions have tabled proposals for a national redundancy avoidance committee, seeking a “robust” redeployment policy along with a talent pool, and other measures including freezing recruitment, ending external contractor employment, part-time working, sabbaticals and finding alternative sources of funding. Where redundancies are essential, unions are seeking a voluntary process, with full consultation.

“This ought to be a clear place where partnership working should be done,” said Richards. The proposals will be sent out to branches to use as best practice while unions wait for employers’ further response. But progress has been made on gender pay gaps and harmonisation of terms and conditions.