University of Westminster slammed over failed pay deal
10 June 2009
UCU today slammed the University of Westminster for its failure to deliver three years' worth of back pay owed to staff.
The union said the move leaves the University of Westminster as the only institution in the UK that has failed to deliver a clear agreement on back pay when implementing a pay agreement thrashed out in 2006.
The university has written to all staff to tell them it will be imposing the new pay deal, known as the Framework Agreement, but will not be paying the money owed in back pay. The union is advising members not to sign up to the 'offer' and warned that the university's actions would further damage relations with the union following recent redundancies in the computing and ceramics departments, and planned job losses in the integrated health department.
It also accused the institution of breaking the terms of an agreement where the university had promised to give the union seven days' notice if it intended to impose any changes to staff pay and conditions. The university told the union about the letters to all members of staff two hours after the letters had been sent. As well as advising its members to reject the offer, the union has called on the university to suspend the roll out of the new contract and come back to the negotiating table.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The University of Westminster is the only institution that has failed to deliver the back pay from the national Framework Agreement. The back pay is our members' money and the institution has no right to hold it back. It also had no right to write to the staff informing them of the changes it will be imposing on their pay and conditions.
'We will be meeting this week to carefully plan the next stages of our campaign. However, we would much rather the university recognises the unfairness of its decision not to award the staff money they are owed and to immediately suspend any attempts to impose the new deal on staff. Failure to do so will inevitably harm the relationship we have with the institution and leave us with no alternative but to explore all options available to us, including the possibility of industrial action.'
The university has written to all staff to tell them it will be imposing the new pay deal, known as the Framework Agreement, but will not be paying the money owed in back pay. The union is advising members not to sign up to the 'offer' and warned that the university's actions would further damage relations with the union following recent redundancies in the computing and ceramics departments, and planned job losses in the integrated health department.
It also accused the institution of breaking the terms of an agreement where the university had promised to give the union seven days' notice if it intended to impose any changes to staff pay and conditions. The university told the union about the letters to all members of staff two hours after the letters had been sent. As well as advising its members to reject the offer, the union has called on the university to suspend the roll out of the new contract and come back to the negotiating table.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The University of Westminster is the only institution that has failed to deliver the back pay from the national Framework Agreement. The back pay is our members' money and the institution has no right to hold it back. It also had no right to write to the staff informing them of the changes it will be imposing on their pay and conditions.
'We will be meeting this week to carefully plan the next stages of our campaign. However, we would much rather the university recognises the unfairness of its decision not to award the staff money they are owed and to immediately suspend any attempts to impose the new deal on staff. Failure to do so will inevitably harm the relationship we have with the institution and leave us with no alternative but to explore all options available to us, including the possibility of industrial action.'
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