Update on national pay negotiations

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has been negotiating nationally on behalf of universities in relation to the basic national pay uplift for 2015.

UCL has recently been advised by UCEA of the trade union response to the final national pay offer UCEA put forward. While we were pleased that the members of UNISON and GMB voted so emphatically to accept the offer we are disappointed to learn of the rejection in a vote by 32% of UCU members and rejections by Unite and EIS following their consultations. UCEA has informed UCL that there will be a delay in implementing the pay uplift for staff until the autumn while the Dispute Resolution process is completed.

The 1% final offer, with the lower paid receiving an increase worth up to 2.2%, will provide staff with the highest real-terms base pay improvement seen in recent years, substantially exceeding CPI and other inflation indicators. UCL is pleased that the additional payments on the lower points, and the offer itself, recognise the challenges facing our lower paid staff. This increase will be supplemented for a significant number of staff by the annual increment which over half of staff covered by these negotiations will have automatically received with effect from 1st August 2015.

UCEA has been negotiating in relation to the basic pay uplift against a backdrop of uncertainty and anticipation of exceptional financial challenges across the sector. We have been advised now of in-year cuts to our funding and the outlook for funding for UCL both within and beyond 2015-16 will be determined by factors that go beyond the general election outcome, with uncertain student numbers to consider alongside inevitable further reductions in government funding.

We are hopeful that the Dispute Resolution process will enable all the trade unions to conclude this year's round with an outcome that is both fair for staff and sustainable and affordable. The basic pay uplift is just one element in the total pay, reward and recognition envelope. The overall staff reward and benefit package at UCL includes excellent conditions of service, a range of benefits and opportunities for pay progression and other contribution-related pay increases.

Nigel Waugh, Director of Human Resources