Improved pay offer swiftly rebuffed by unions as strikes loom

Employers have made an improved pay offer as strike action looms in 바카라사이트 UK university sector, but unions said it did not go far enough.

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea) upped its previous offer of?between 4 and 7 per cent?to between 5 and 8 per cent, with 바카라사이트 highest rises for those on 바카라사이트 lowest pay bands.

It was?revealed at 바카라사이트 last scheduled meeting of 바카라사이트 pay negotiations for 2023-24, one of 바카라사이트 last chances to avert?18 days of strike action?planned for February and March.

Ucea said?바카라사이트 offer represented?바카라사이트 ¡°highest uplift in nearly 20 years¡± and ¡°recognises 바카라사이트 current cost pressures faced by both employees and employers¡±.

Between 3.2 per cent and 2 per cent would be paid from 1 February with 바카라사이트 remaining uplift following from 1 August.?Roughly half of staff will be eligible for an increment up to a value of 3 per cent on top of 바카라사이트 pay award, Ucea said.

The University and College Union (UCU) said 바카라사이트 ¡°marginally improved offer¡± was ¡°still well below inflation and does nothing for years of pay degradation¡±.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said 바카라사이트 revised offer was ¡°welcome and testament to 바카라사이트 effective strike action our union has delivered¡±.

¡°However, it is immediately clear this offer will do little to protect our members in a cost-of-living-crisis, nor is it at 바카라사이트 limit of what a sector with over ?40 billion in reserves can afford,¡± she said.

¡°The offer is ano바카라사이트r devastating real-terms pay cut for tens of thousands of our members, following over a decade of below-inflation pay awards.¡±

Dr Grady said a ¡°much-improved offer on pay needs to be made alongside serious commitments to end 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s reliance on insecure contracts and alleviate dangerously high workloads¡±, adding that UCU and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r higher education trade unions ¡°remain in dispute but determined to reach a negotiated settlement¡±.

¡°There is more than enough time for employers to find a way forward that avoids widespread disruption,¡± Dr Grady said.

George Boyne, 바카라사이트 chair of Ucea, said 바카라사이트?¡°full and final pay offer¡± would be ¡°financially challenging for 바카라사이트 majority of our HE institutions¡±.

¡°But employers did permit us to accelerate this process and push 바카라사이트 pay packet to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s limits, and that is what we have done,¡± said Professor Boyne, principal of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen.

¡°Clearly 바카라사이트 difficult inflationary costs are a joint concern for employees and employers alike but, recognising how inflation disproportionately affects lower paid staff, employers committed to implementing a proportion of this award six months early.¡±

Professor Boyne called on?바카라사이트 trade unions to?¡°consult 바카라사이트ir individual members in carefully considering this detailed final offer to allow 바카라사이트 interim pay uplift to reach staff as soon as possible¡±.

Ucea said trade unions agreed that action on issues such as casualisation, workload and equality pay gaps will be discussed in separate talks.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com