Stop the Squeeze on HE Pay
Why take action on pay now? The negotiations and the final offer The strategy to win Timetable Strikes ASOS Campaigning Get the vote out 2
Since 2009 we have lost 13% in the value of pay - £4300 per annum for a member on point 43 of pay spine The money is there – the sector has operating surpluses of over £1 billion Defend national bargaining Stop staff costs falling Resist austerity We are not ‘all in this together’ – over 2500 staff in the sector are paid over £100,000 3
The claim – RPI plus element of catch up The failure of the employers to negotiate – ‘we do not have a mandate from our subscribers to negotiate with you on that matter’ The derisory final offer of 1% The failure to address the equality parts of the claim, such as gender pay gap, disability leave, and position of staff on zero hours contracts. Negotiators would not ask you to take industrial action, if we could get a better deal simply by negotiation. 4
Sustained and serious industrial action needed to bring the employers back to the table with a better offer We have a plan to win a trade dispute Combination of strikes, ASOS and campaigning Plans for escalation, both in the event of punitive pay deductions and as a means of waging the dispute Working with other unions, UNISON and UNITE are also balloting their members for industrial action 5
Sector conference in May 2013 Branch consultation and consultative ballot of individual members over the summer, meetings with reps in September Industrial action ballot from 25 th September to 10 th October Negotiators meet on 10 th October HEC meets on 11 th October to decide response to ballot result 6
Picketing What to do and not do when on strike 24 hour shutdown on all work for university Use of ‘out of office’ messages to indicate on strike today What happens to work lost as a result of strike action? A work to contract reduces risk of making up work without payment. Strikes will be part of the industrial action 7
Working to contract This sanction is on-going and helps to make strike action more effective How this sanction works in pre 92 and post 92 contexts, for different staff groups, for part-time staff Ban on marking Pressure on graduation and student progression 8
UK-wide campaign actions Local actions Ideas for campaigning, e.g. letters and postcards to MPs, lobbies of university events, lunchtime protests etc. Campaign will continue alongside industrial action 9
Two separate questions on the ballot paper because it is a legal requirement Strike mandate needed for timely response to punitive pay deductions High poll needed Strong votes needed for both ASOS and strike action. Get the vote out 10