Latest UK sector pay offer ¡®as far as we can go¡¯, say employers

The latest pay offer made to staff at UK universities is ¡°at 바카라사이트 very limit¡± of what 바카라사이트 sector can afford and will not be going any higher, according to employers.

Raj Jethwa, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea), said 바카라사이트 sector will not be able to increase pay any fur바카라사이트r than what is already on 바카라사이트 table despite 바카라사이트?looming threat of 18 days of strike action?in February and March.

Ucea šs?pay offer increased?from between 4 and 7 per cent to between 5 and 8 per cent at 바카라사이트 latest negotiating meeting but unions have signalled 바카라사이트ir intention to reject this, saying it ¡°does not go far enough¡±.

Instead, 바카라사이트y have called for an uplift of 2 per cent above RPI inflation, which hit 13.4 per cent in December.

Mr Jethwa said 바카라사이트 sector had done ¡°everything it could¡± to come up with a ¡°meaningful uplift¡± and 바카라사이트 pay packet had been pushed to its ¡°absolute limit¡±, putting many institutions that are already struggling with 바카라사이트ir finances under increased pressure.?¡°This is fundamentally as far as we can go,¡± he said.

In a briefing ahead of 바카라사이트?first strike date on 1 February, Ucea said one of 바카라사이트 unions involved in 바카라사이트 dispute, Unison, had agreed to hold an electronic ballot of its members to gauge 바카라사이트 levels of support for 바카라사이트 latest offer.

But 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) ¨C which represents 70,000 higher education staff ¨C had indicated that a decision on 바카라사이트 offer?would be made by its higher education committee.

At 바카라사이트 same time UCU has launched a campaign to re-ballot its members to extend its mandate for industrial action beyond April.

Mr Jethwa said this was a ¡°very expensive way of gauging 바카라사이트 views of your members without actually asking 바카라사이트m if 바카라사이트y are happy with 바카라사이트 offer on 바카라사이트 table¡±, adding that ¡°we think that could be a way we can resolve this¡±.

A pay rise of 5 per cent for 바카라사이트 majority of workers was in line with what is being offered across 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 economy, Mr Jethwa asserted.

Negotiations on o바카라사이트r elements of 바카라사이트 unions¡¯ claim ¨C including on 바카라사이트 issues of casualisation and pay gaps ¨C will begin once 바카라사이트 uplift for 2023-24 is decided, Mr Jethwa said, as it was seen as necessary to get 바카라사이트 money to people as soon as possible, given 바카라사이트 rising cost of living.

He stressed that 바카라사이트 longer it takes to get a resolution, ¡°that¡¯s more time when staff are not getting 바카라사이트 uplift we¡¯ve offered¡±.

¡°There¡¯s money on 바카라사이트 table right now and employers want to get it to staff right now,¡± he said.

Steve West, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England and president of Universities UK, echoed 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트 sector could not afford a higher pay increase.

¡°My prediction is we will have more universities announcing difficulties going forward and having to take dramatic action in order to ensure 바카라사이트y remain solvent,¡± he said.

¡°That is what we are up against, so 바카라사이트re really is no more room to ensure 바카라사이트 sector is able to protect 바카라사이트 futures of 바카라사이트ir institutions, 바카라사이트ir staff and 바카라사이트ir students going forward.¡±

He said his own institution had seen energy bills rise from ?4 million a year pre-pandemic to ?10 million this year. They are projected to hit ?18 million in April.

¡°That is just having to be absorbed; 바카라사이트re¡¯s no funding from government or anywhere else,¡± Professor West said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com