New negotiating body lacks credibility, says UCU

Although representatives from UCU, the largest higher education union, were present their role was to restate the union's dissatisfaction with the committee.

Following a ballot of members earlier this year, UCU made it clear that it believed the constitution to be deficient in a number of ways.

At the invitation of the chair of the employers' body, the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association (UCEA), UCU representatives attended as observers to explain the union's position and to report back.

UCU higher education chair, Dr Alastair Hunter, said: 'A body that purports to negotiate the pay of most higher education staff but cannot meet expectations of academic and academic-related staff, and does not include the majority of unionised staff, cannot be taken seriously. UCU wishes to work to achieve a strong comprehensive and credible committee.'

UCU's objections to the current committee are:

• a lack of opportunity for UCU to represent its members in academic and academic-related jobs on matters exclusive to their roles

• a stringent timetable for annual pay negotiations that prevents the opportunity to explore new and/or unexpected circumstances during the year
• a distribution of trade union seats on the committee that does not reflect union membership in the higher education sector.