In This Issue:

• Unpaid overtime
• End of an era with Shell pension closure PFI — more to do over cost concerns
• Action pledged by PM on pay? Balance of payments
• Skill shortages only part of the problem Regional pay

PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS UPDATE: Download the latest update from Unite regarding Public Service Pensions.

Last week all Unite members in Higher Eduction were balloted on industrial action with regard to the current pay offer. The results have now been published.

Please also see this letter from Mike Robinson – National Officer for further information as to what this means.

For Information: Unite – Higher Education Sector are not involved in the current dispute over public sector pensions and therefore we at the University of Stirling are not in dispute over this matter.

Please see following for further information.

• Action Alert approaching a picket
• Action Alert picketing advice for those on strike
• Action Alert use of agency and emergency cover guidance

Unite, the largest union in the country, is balloting its members in higher education across the UK for industrial action, following the breakdown of talks over a ‘derisory’ pay offer.

Unite – one of the five unions in the talks – is the first union to reject the pay offer which is a lump sum of £150 for all staff. It will be balloting its members for industrial action to commence later in November.

Unite national officer for education, Mike Robinson said the offer was ‘derisory’ when set against soaring household bills and an inflation rate of 5.2%. He pointed out that London’s Imperial College, which is outside of the national negotiations, has already offered a £500 lump sum or 2% to its employees, whichever is the greater.

In recent years, staff have accepted below inflation pay increases. In 2009, it was 0.5%; in 2010 0.4% and this year’s offer is worth 0.5% on average. The pay deals run from August each year.

Mike Robinson said: ‘Inflation over the last three years has been 12.4%, so in real terms the offers on pay equate to a pay cut of about 11%. Unite members have had enough and have voted in a recent consultative ballot to reject the offer by a 4-1 majority.’

Unite has members in more than 60 UK universities – about half of the total. Most of the Unite members are in the older Russell group-style research intensive universities which have substantial cash reserves and easily able to improve on the existing offer. Unite has exhausted the disputes procedure.

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) was suggesting a reference to the conciliation service, Acas, but Unite has firmly rejected that route, unless the employers give some indication that the £150 pay offer will be improved.

The ballot is expected to open on 28 October and close on 17 November. Unite is one of five unions involved in the pay talks. The others are Unison, GMB, UCU and EIS.

Unite covers staff across all the UK universities from academics and academic-related staff to technicians, skilled administrators, estates, security and domestic staff.

Advice to Unite members, stewards and representatives regarding industrial action by UCU March 2011 and beyond.

Unite staff working in Higher Education may be aware that UCU members have voted for industrial action and other action short of strike. The other academic union in Scotland, EIS, has decided to ballot staff but EIS members are currently not taking dispute action. Unite supports UCU members in dispute but for legal reasons the union is constrained in what Unite members can and cannot do. Unite advice to Higher Education members are that they are not in dispute and members should continue to attend their place of work and work normally.

On the question of picket lines, the advice is that members should not join the picket lines, as this could give the perception that Unite members are involved in the dispute or their presence could be used towards numbers of pickets thereby exceeding the statutory limits on pickets and directly or indirectly implicating Unite union members in the industrial action.

Members are free of course to engage in discussions with UCU members who are picketing or speak or not to speak to pickets but are advised not to take part in any action themselves. Members wishing to discuss matters with pickets are requested to do this away from any picket lines to avoid any implication in the action.

Unite representatives should not meet with university management on local issues but to postpone these to alternative dates whilst the UCU action is in place.

Consideration on not attending local events will depend on the nature of the events and whether such action would be perceived as engaging in a dispute or action connected to a dispute. Unite preferred option is that events should moved by mutual agreement with the support of all unions and management. If this is not possible in most circumstances the advice to Unite representatives will be to continue to work normally.

As you may know HE staff unions, including Unite, are on record requesting an eventual settlement for this pay round from UCEA. UCEA without Unite prompting has advised higher education unions to make arrangements to pay the 0.4% on offer.

If any member or representative has a particular problem in connection with the UCU dispute they should contact their local union office identifying the nature of the problem.
Yours sincerely
Mike Robinson
National Officer Education

Facts Not Myths
Deep spending cuts are dangerous, unfair and unnecessary.

This myth-buster sets out to expose some of the myths about government debt and the cuts – and arm campaigners with the facts.

The EAT confirmed the tribunal decision that the university was in breach of the relevant provisions of the collective consultation legislation.

I am pleased to advise that two Unite higher education representatives have recently received Honours. Both have served on the national industry committee in recent times.

Jenny Foxon

Jenny Foxon from University of Leicester received an MBE in the New Years Honours List for her services to the University and in particular I am advised her work on DNA. FURTHER DETAILS

Jo Westerman

Jo Westerman from University of Leeds has just been announced will receive an MBE for her work in Adult Learning at the University of Leeds Logik Centre. FURTHER DETAILS

Download the joint unions 2010 pay claim

At the New JNCHES meeting on 29 March, UCEA made an offer to explore how a non-consolidated cash sum equivalent to 0.25% of pay bill could be applied.

The employers made no serious attempt to address the other key elements of the joint union claim; for example, nothing on:

• Job security
• Improving the national framework agreement and terms and conditions of employment
• The assimilation of hourly-paid staff to the national agreement
• Proposals to close the gender pay gap
• Proposals for a national system to pay external examiners

Without producing any convincing evidence, the employers asserted that the effect of incremental increases on the pay bill should be taken into account during pay negotiations. This provoked a strong response from the trade unions. Unlike the private sector who pay the rate for the job from day one in the public sector staff start below the full rate and build up reflecting increasing knowledge and skills – arguably providing a short term subsidy for HE employers.

The employers negotiated a pay deal in 2003 that clearly accepted increments as part of the structure so to complain now, when they have known and presumably budgeted for such increases, is a little disingenuous. They are looking for fig leaves and this will not wash.

The trade union side unanimously rejected the offer. The employers were asked to rethink their position and come to the next meeting with a credible offer.

Another meeting is scheduled for 19 April