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And is pretty evenly split over whether to pursue industrial action via a new ballot
UCU’s consultative ballot to its members over the 2024–25 pay and conditions negotiations closed on Tuesday 3 December, and the results have followed the union’s recommendations to members back in October.
Some 68 per cent of those voting in the poll recommended rejecting the pay offer – but 86 per cent were in favour of accepting the non-pay elements (work with UCEA on contract types, pay spine review, workload, and equality pay gaps) that had come out of the New JNCHES discussions.
UCEA chief executive Raj Jethwa has written to UCU:
You will recall UCEA’s position, as set out in our proposal of 20 September 2024, is that we would not want the rejection of the pay uplift to inhibit our ability as employers and trade unions to make progress in the important areas identified in the Terms of Reference (ToRs) or any of the other matters included in our Full and Final offer. Therefore, if the unions do not pursue a ballot for industrial action, the employers will note that the unions have not accepted the pay uplift and will work with the unions to progress the other elements of our offer.
I note that the outcome of the consultative ballot reflects the position anticipated in our September proposal, and indeed the recommendations of UCU’s Higher Education Committee. Your members have signalled rejection of the pay offer, but confirmed strong support for joint work as set out in our Full and Final offer.
On a turnout of 27 per cent, those voting were almost evenly split on whether they would be in favour of pursuing industrial action in pursuit of an improved offer (53 per cent yes, 47 per cent no) – it now falls to the union’s higher education committee to decide on next steps, which could involve a proper industrial action ballot, which as per the above statement would throw into question the non-pay elements.
Of the other sector trade unions, Unison had already consulted its members over the summer, and has recently said that it will open an industrial action ballot over the 2024–25 offer on 21 January 2025, running until 4 March 2025. For the others (Unite, GMB, EIS-ULA) there has been little in the way of news about next steps since we rounded them up here.
Updated Friday 6 December:
UCEA has sent us a statement, reproduced below.
The consultative ballot results show that UCU’s members have followed the recommendations of the UCU’s Higher Education Committee (HEC) and voted to reject the pay uplift by 68% and to accept the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for joint work by 86%. It is disappointing that of those who did vote, 53% voted that they would be willing to take industrial action. UCU members, UCEA and the other trade unions now wait to see what the HEC’s next steps will be.
With the sector already facing unprecedented challenges and given the low turnout, we hope that the HEC does not call for a ballot for industrial action to take place. UCEA has committed to work with the unions to progress the joint work agreed as part of the full and final 2024-25 pay offer. These New JNCHES priorities include a joint review of the pay spine and joint work on contract types, workload and equality pay gaps.
Given the overwhelming support among UCU members for joint work with employers, together with the ambivalent response to industrial action and the stretched financial position of the sector, we urge UCU’s HEC to grasp the opportunity to work with UCEA on our important joint priorities.