College pay talks resumed

Industrial action by staff in higher education has persuaded employers to retain national bargaining and re-enter pay talks.

The dispute began following the imposition of a 3% pay award (plus 1% for manual workers) for higher education bargaining groups last year, and the employers' threat to abandon national conditions of service.

But unions were also angry that the employers failed to implement the recommendations of the "Bett report", which proposed new bargaining machinery, substantial improvements in higher education pay and minimum conditions of service, among other changes.

Co-ordinated action by the higher education unions, supported by the National Union of Students, began on 5 December and involved lecturers withholding students' exam and coursework marks, boycotting exam boards and working to contracts.

By 6 February the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association was ready to resume talks on the basis of proposals previously put by the TUC. These allowed for existing terms and conditions to be "inherited" by the new bargaining machinery with the status quo prevailing unless there is joint agreement for change.

However, two of the unions, UNISON and NATFHE, say action will re-start if the employers renege in the talks.

Tom Wilson, head of NATFHE's universities department, said: "Our members will be expecting to see some concrete progress now towards improving their standard of living and ability to do their job".