Aber UCU Exec has been asked to consult members on the following proposal with a very short time frame:

“Do you support UCU members now getting a vote on the negotiated proposals that have been reached, and pausing strike action (ASOS would continue) whilst this consultation takes place?” Yes/No

Aber UCU members will have had an email with a link to a Survey about this question, one from UCU national and another from Aber UCU branch. Please respond to Aber UCU email by 2pm Thursday 16th March to allow us to reflect Aber UCU branch members views at an Emergency Branch Delegates Meeting on Thursday at 3pm.

As background, for those who might not follow the details, we have put together some thoughts about what we think you are being asked to consult on.

Read the full texts from the unions and UCEA, and UCU and UUK for the details of the proposals.

 

USS

Expectation is we see a restoration of USS pension (and contribution rates) back to something akin to pre-2022 changes, following valuation of the fund in the next few months and decisions in September 2023. The expectation is full restoration will occur by August 2024.

In addition the way USS is valued and negotiated will be revised to get negotiations out of a cycle of repeated disputes.

There is a sense the negotiators feel they have had success here, and whilst some will want to see reversion done quicker this is a practical outcome given various legal constraints in place.

  • Recommendation from UCU President – on this issue (which has a separate ballot mandate to the Four fights dispute) we could step back from industrial action specifically on the issue of pensions

 

Four Fights

Casualisation

Agreement that Zero Hours Contracts to be ‘phased out’ except where staff want them from this summer.

Terms of reference agreed for set of principles to frame ‘local negotiations’ on:

  • Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs)
  • Fixed-term contracts
  • Post Graduate Researchers (PGRs)
  • Hourly-paid contracts

Plus review process and Equality Impact Assessment for contract types.

The above to be concluded by Feb 2024.

This places onus on local branches to take action on these issues, within a national framework.

 

Workload

Terms of reference for time limited negotiations on workload agreed. Also to conclude by Feb 2024.

Again the onus is on local branches making progress locally in agreeing ways of tackling workload on individual campuses, guided by national framework and local action plans.

 

Pay gaps / equality

Aim to complete negotiations by October 2023.

Collection and review of available data on pay gaps across the sector, benchmarking across sector, equal pay audits shared with local unions etc.

 

Pay

Confirms UCEA have not improved offer since minor tweaks at beginning of Acas negotiations.

Agreement on negotiating new national pay spines over the next year (joint statement says by October 2023), and to remove the lowest 2 spine points entirely now. Seen as progress.

Bottom line is

  1. This is more a systemic issue with some calls for UCU to address directly (e.g. through a motion at Conference in May on ‘student caps’) the fundamental problem limiting national agreements, with some institutions hoovering up students and banking the cash and others running financial risks,
  2. negotiators think the wins on the other issues are substantive and worth progressing (as they change the environ and culture of HE employment more broadly) and while (the sector as a whole) can move further on pay the UCEA negotiations have hit an impasse, partly because of financial constraints of some institutions,
  3. so the choice UCU negotiators presents us with is either to ‘bank what you’ve won’ now, or keep fighting on the issue of pay.