Latest increase preserves value of HE pay
14 October 2008
UCU today said that the announcement of a retail price index (RPI) of 5% for October represented a good deal for staff in higher education.
Higher education staff will now receive a 5% pay increase in the final year of a three year pay deal which has meant that pay rates have risen by over 15% since July 2006.
In a year when many public sector workers have seen below inflation pay rises the October payment of the 2006-2009 deal ensures that UCU members in higher education are not worse off as the cost of living rises. UCU members undertook industrial action as part of a protracted pay dispute in 2006 to secure the increase that has started to make up for the poor levels of pay which plagued the sector for almost two decades.
The union said today that the last payment ensures that those gains in pay are not lost, but warned that there is a still a long way to go and attempts by any employers to claw back those gains would be met with a firm response from UCU.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The three year pay deal that members of UCU fought so hard for has increased salaries by more than double what the employers originally wanted to get away with paying. It is a good deal and it does go someway to addressing declining academic salaries.
'The 2006 pay claim was based around the urgent need for salaries to "catch up" as well as "keep up" with comparable professions. Any attempts to claw back the value of the current deal will be seen by staff as yet another kick in the teeth and resisted by the union. Statements already being made by some employers about no increases next year are precursors to what we already know will be a very difficult pay round in 2009. UCU members will be discussing next year's claim at a special higher education sector conference on 7 November.'
In a year when many public sector workers have seen below inflation pay rises the October payment of the 2006-2009 deal ensures that UCU members in higher education are not worse off as the cost of living rises. UCU members undertook industrial action as part of a protracted pay dispute in 2006 to secure the increase that has started to make up for the poor levels of pay which plagued the sector for almost two decades.
The union said today that the last payment ensures that those gains in pay are not lost, but warned that there is a still a long way to go and attempts by any employers to claw back those gains would be met with a firm response from UCU.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The three year pay deal that members of UCU fought so hard for has increased salaries by more than double what the employers originally wanted to get away with paying. It is a good deal and it does go someway to addressing declining academic salaries.
'The 2006 pay claim was based around the urgent need for salaries to "catch up" as well as "keep up" with comparable professions. Any attempts to claw back the value of the current deal will be seen by staff as yet another kick in the teeth and resisted by the union. Statements already being made by some employers about no increases next year are precursors to what we already know will be a very difficult pay round in 2009. UCU members will be discussing next year's claim at a special higher education sector conference on 7 November.'
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