1. HE Pay and Equality Campaign branch briefings October 2018
Paul Bridge
Head of Higher Education

2. The claim and the final offer
The response
The final offer
7.5% or £1,500 whichever is greater
Rejected
2% for UCU represented grades.
Nationally agreed framework for action to close the gender pay gap by 2020.
Offer to continue the current work on the outstanding gender pay survey and analysis from last year.
Nationally-agreed framework for action on precarious contracts.
No offer of joint work at this time. Review in autumn. NB, TUS walked away from the working group last year.
Nationally-agreed payment to recognise excessive workloads.
Local matter not a role for JNCHES.
To establish the Scottish Sub-Committee of New JNCHES.
No HEI support in Scotland. Existing fora in place via Universities Scotland and STUC.

3. UCU Policy HE1 HE pay, Higher Education Committee
as amended by HE1A.1, London Regional Committee and HE1A.2, City, University of London
If a majority of members indicate (in a consultative ballot) they reject the final offer and are willing to take sustained industrial action then UCU will make preparations for a statutory ballot to take place.
UCU should continue to support branches lodging and negotiating local claims on gender pay, precarious contracts and workload
Conference resolves to ballot members for industrial action, to work jointly with the other trade unions and to call a Higher Education Sector Conference in the autumn on HE pay
HE2
HE pay campaign and industrial action, University of Brighton (Grand Parade); as amended by HE2A.1 and HE2A.2
Build a pay campaign around the use of escalating strike action which emphasises the gender pay gap and particularly highlights the often unjust and considerable low or unequal pay and lack of progression suffered by casualised workers
Work and campaign with all other willing trade unions and groups of workers on the issue of pay and pro-actively campaign and organise for co-ordinated strike action with other unions on pay across all sectors

4. Consultative ballot Do you wish to accept the employers’ offer?
Accept: 6,237 (18%) Reject: 28,341 (82%)
If the offer is rejected are you prepared to take sustained industrial action?
Yes: 22,429 (64.9%)
No: 12,129 (35.1%)
Turnout 47.7%

5. Timeline of key events Date Action / Event 27 July
Pay consultation closes
29 June
HEC
w/c 4 July
Lodge New JNCHES procedural dispute
w/c 13 August
Establish trade dispute with those employers covered by New JNCHES bargaining
w/c 20 August
Notice of ballot sent ( 9 days)
w/c 27 August
Ballot opens
w/c 2 October
4 x branch briefings
19 October
Ballot closes
w/c 22 October
National Negotiator meeting tbc
1 November
7 November
Special HESC on Pay

6. The grounds of dispute 7.5% or £1,500 whichever is greater
Nationally agreed framework for action to close the gender pay gap by 2020.
Nationally agreed framework for action on precarious contracts.
Nationally agreed payment to recognise excessive workloads.

7. The campaign
. Since February all developments and updates in the pay and equality campaign have been put on the UCU web site.
Pay and Equality Matters; posters, flyers, stickers and other resources sent to branches and on the web site.
Focus on key campaign themes; address the loss in value of pay, action on the gender pay inequality, end exploitative precarious contracts and tackle excessive workload, stress and the rate for the job.
Get the Vote Out – approved NEC guidance and the link to the Commission on Effective Industrial Action recommendations sent to branches.
Direct and regular branch and member communications during the negotiations and run up to the ballot an now weekly reminders to vote.

12. Questions for discussion
Question 1 What is your assessment of the capacity of your branch to deliver sustained strike action in support of the pay and equality campaign? Question 2 In regards to industrial action that is action short of a strike, which includes an assessment and a marking boycott, what is your assessment of your branches capacity to deliver sustained ASOS. Question 3 In regards to ASOS what is your assessment of your branches capacity to respond effectively to management threats of 100% pay deductions? Question 4 What is your branch’s assessment of the best time to start industrial action, autumn 2018 or January 2019? Please indicate why this is the case. Question 5 Do you think there should be a common start date across the UK or should UCU facilitate staggered start dates to maximise local impact?