17 December 2024
Following the decision of the UCU's Higher Education Committee (HEC) to call a ballot for industrial action in 2025, Raj Jethwa, UCEA's Chief Executive wrote to Jo Grady, UCU's General Secretary
UCEA Letter re ToRs – December 2024
6 December 2024
Following the results of the UCU's consultative ballot Raj Jethwa, UCEA's Chief Executive wrote to Jo Grady, UCU's General Secretary
UCEA letter to UCU post-ballot - 6 December 2024
12 November 2024
The annual autumn New JNCHES meeting with sector trade unions takes place. Yesterday was just another important day, a blog by Raj Jethwa, Chief Executive of UCEA, reflects on the meeting. In it, Raj explains the good work for employers and unions to do jointly in order to promote and improve the experience of all those working in the sector. It is hopeful that the joint working can now begin on the reform of the pay spine, and on delivering work relating to equality pay gaps, including those involving ethnicity, disability and gender; and to address workload concerns and work on the use of contract types.
20 September 2024
UCEA wrote to the five trade unions with the following proposal:
As employers, there are significant areas of work which we wish to carry out in partnership with unions and these areas of work have also been priorities in the Joint HE Trade Unions’ claim over a number of years. These include carrying out a review of the pay spine, together with action to make meaningful progress on contract types, workload and pay gaps. As you will be aware, the Terms of Reference for each of these areas of work were developed in the New JNCHES 2023-24 round and UCEA has committed to taking forward this work as an outcome of the 2024-25 negotiating round.
We acknowledge that some of the Joint HE Trade Unions have indicated that they will not accept the 2024-25 pay offer. While this is disappointing, UCEA would not want the rejection of the pay uplift to inhibit our ability as employers and trade unions to make progress in the important areas identified in the Terms of Reference or any of the other pay-related matters included in our full and final offer. Therefore, if the unions do not pursue a ballot for industrial action at this stage, the employers will note that the unions have not accepted the pay uplift and will work with the unions to progress the pay-related elements of our offer.
27 August 2024
Full and Final offer - 27 August 2024
23 August 2024
UCEA and the five trade unions (EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite) met in two Dispute Resolution Meetings on Monday 19 and Thursday 22 August. The following joint statement was issued:
HE Trade Unions and UCEA yesterday (22 August) completed the meetings under the New JNCHES Dispute Resolution Procedure for the pay negotiations of the 2024-25 negotiating round following two days of intense discussions.
UCEA has committed to write to the unions with its final offer in the week beginning 26 August. The Trade Unions will consider the Employers’ offer and both Parties will then discuss next steps.
This is also available on the News section of the UCEA website.
10 July 2024
After the final negotiating meeting on 26 June, UCEA wrote to the unions with a final offer for 2024-25, for a sectoral pay bill uplift of 2.5%, to be implemented in two phases during the 2024-25 year together with a review of the pay spine and joint work on non-pay issues in the unions’ claim. By 10 July UCU has rejected the offer and UNISON’s Sector Group Executive have voted to consult members with a recommendation to reject the offer. An update for Unite, EIS and GMB is expected week commencing 15 July. Dispute resolution meetings will be arranged as soon as UCEA has confirmation from all trade unions. UCEA will endeavour to hold the meetings as soon as possible. UCEA also issued a media release Employers are deeply disappointed by trade unions’ initial reaction to final pay offer.
3 July 2024
On 3 July UCEA wrote to the five trade unions sharing the final offer and revised Terms of Reference (ToRs) on the proposed joint work (see below). UCEA also issued a media release HE pay round meetings completed for 2024-25 with a phased 2.5% to 5.7% uplift
New JNCHES 2024-25 Final offer letter - incorporating revised Terms of Reference (3 July 2024)
28 June 2024
On 26 June we concluded the final meeting of the New JNCHES pay round for 2024-25. We will upload the final offer next week. The trade unions are all then looking to make final decision during the week beginning 8 July following their individual meetings (UCU’s HEC, for example, meets on 5 July). We regard this as the last week in which a settlement can be reached. We will then know whether we can advise HEIs to implement the uplift or if we have to arrange dispute meetings – a formal option in the New JNCHES process that must be exhausted before any decision is taken regarding implementation.
14 June 2024
UCEA and trade union officers have met following the recent trade unions’ committees and UCEA Board meeting. Detailed negotiations continue to allow the trades unions to clarify their collective view on both the Terms of Reference items and the final pay offer presented by the employers. The aim is to deliver a detailed update to this detailed and important New JNCHES process in the coming fortnight.
7 June 2024
UCEA has continued to meet with the trade unions regularly in a bid to reach an agreement for the HE pay negotiating round for 2024-25. While New JNCHES negotiations are usually across three scheduled meetings, this round has seen the employers and trade unions meet over six times through New JNCHES, as well as numerous other meetings. The trade unions’ committees are currently meeting individually and consulting accordingly. The UCEA Board will make a final decision the week beginning 10 June; UCEA will provide an update by the end of that week.
15 May 2024
29 April 2024
Following the third 2024-25 New JNCHES meeting a jointly agreed statement was issued.22 April 2024
List of participating HEIs 2024-25
The list of participating HEIs was shared with the unions ahead of the first negotiating meeting on 26 March.
List of participating HEIs 2024-25
Employers' Statement
UCEA set out the context and challenges in the Employers' Statement which has been presented at the start of the negotiations at the end of March 2024.
New JNCHES 2024-25 - Employers' statement
Joint trade unions' claim
The Trade Unions 'Heads of Claim' was sent to UCEA on 18 March 2024
Joint Union Heads of Claim 2024-25
The Trade Unions’ full claim for 2024-25 was sent to UCEA on 15 April 2024
Trade Unions’ full claim for 2024-25
Meeting dates for 2024-25
The three negotiating meeting dates for the 2024/25 pay round are as follows:- Tuesday 26 March 2024
- Monday 22 April 2024
- Monday 29 April 2024
