UCEA conducts collective pay negotiations with the five HE trade unions - UCU, UNISON, Unite, EIS and GMB - on behalf of a significant number of UK HE institutions. This is done through the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES). UCEA member institutions decide individually whether they will participate in each negotiating round to address the uplift to be applied to the national pay spine, covering their employees below Professor and equivalent.
The negotiations take place annually, between March and May. Details of the current or most recent 'pay round' can be found below, as can the pay outcomes for previous years, and general information on the JNCHES arrangements.
2024-25 New JNCHES pay round
2023-24 New JNCHES pay round
Union disputes 2023-24
Union disputes 2022-23
2022-23 New JNCHES pay round
National Conversation on Pay Bargaining
Union ballots 2021-22
2021-22 New JNCHES pay round
2020-21 New JNCHES pay round
2019-20 New JNCHES pay round
Previous Pay Settlements
An overview of the arrangements for HE collective pay negotiations
The arrangements were established following the Framework Agreement for the Modernisation of HE pay structures (2003)