Higher Education: important updates

HE 2019-20 Pay Consultation

The regional result of the pay consultation ballot was a 69% vote in favour of rejecting the offer on a 44% turnout. Congratulations to Sussex University for achieving a 65% turnout, the highest in the region.

The national result was a 67% reject vote on a 40% turnout. This was encouraging given that we had never tried an e-ballot before. The HE Service Group Executive looked at the results at its meeting on 4th July and agreed to hold a full postal ballot of all members, but not until September, to coincide with UCU’s intention to ballot over the same issue. This will be done on an aggregate basis, like last year, meaning that we need a 50%+ turnout nationally to take legal strike action.

LGPS Pension

As you may know, there’s a proposal to allow universities, colleges and sixth form schools to opt out of offering LGPS to new starters. This would be a disaster, and a major attack on current and future members of the pension scheme and UNISON’s National Delegate Conference emergency motion committed the union to fight it. Please complete the consultation.

Higher Education Branch Seminar

Branches are entitled to send three delegates each to this event in York, 6-7 November. If you think this will be of interest to you, please contact the branch office.

Higher Education Conference

This has now been confirmed as being on 16th January 2020 in Milton Keynes. HE members at University of Chichester may wish to consider now if this is of interest. Please contact the branch.