Equality in Universities – a no go area?
Report from the Inaugural meeting of HENIC
University of Bradford pay scales completed
ICE – In Case of Emergency
New TUPE Regulations
Cambridge to come out top?
Budget Changes for Further Education Colleges
JNCHES Negotiations Information
Bullying in Universities Survey
Burma Campaign UK
Government Spending Review
Equality in Universities – a no go area?
A new report from the Higher Education Funding Council (Hefce) has shown that there are still serious problems around equality of opportunity in universities. The research examined the equal opportunities policies and the experiences of employees at a number of institutions form both the pre and post 1992 sectors. The responses from black and minority ethnic (BME) workers showed posts were being offered to white colleagues without being advertised and at the university with the highest level of BME staff, all senior positions are held by white people. Disabled staff said they were treated worse than students and some female staff indicated that male colleagues undermined them by withholding information. All of the universities interviewed had equal opportunities policies, staff said they know nothing about them while senior staff thought that they were making good progress on matters of inequality – a clear divergence of opinion indicating that having a policy is only part of the remedy, the policy has to be taken seriously, implemented and monitored. If you would like further information about the study please go to www.hefce.ac.uk/lgm/divers/equal.asp
Report from the Inaugural meeting of HENIC
The Committee has been enlarged to acknowledge the diverse range of member’s jobs in the sector, which has arisen through the merger with the AEEU. Several new committee members participated, all of who had useful contributions to make to the business. Sue Sharp, NEC, was elected as the Chair, and Haydn Morris from Lancaster University as Vice Chair. The revised HENIC constitution was adopted unamended, if anyone would like copy please email Vera Titmus at vera.titmus@amicustheunion.org
After much discussion, the Committee agreed (11 votes to 7) to accept the 3% pay offer for this year, with the proviso that we seek an increase if the AUT achieve any better award. Alan Howard from King’s and Dave Jones from Manchester were elected as our two delegates to JNCHES. The survey on Framework agreement / job evaluation progress was presented, and there is to be a further trawl for information so that this can be updated. The NEC members urged all Branches to respond to the consultation on Branch structures. Mike Robinson recommended that HENIC set up sub-committees for each staff grouping. There are to be two more training events at Esher Place this year – HERA on 21/22 July, and Hay on 13/14 September. Overall recruitment in the HE sector has achieved the 1% per month national recruitment target first time in some years. There is a new Student recruitment campaign with recruitment materials to be issued in late summer. Finally, in common with most of London, everyone went outside at 12.00 for two minutes silence, as a mark of remembrance for the victims of the atrocities in London.
University of Bradford pay scales completed
University of Bradford have become one of the “early implementers” on HERA.
The pay scales for the new grades have just been published on the web.
Details of the scales can be found at
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/pay,grading&remuneration
ICE – In Case of Emergency
Following the dreadful events in London a national “In Case of Emergency (ICE)” campaign has been launched with the support of Falklands war hero Simon Weston. The idea is that you store the word “ICE” in your mobile phone address book, and against the heading enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted “In Case of Emergency”. In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It is so simple that everyone can do it. This is a national campaign so the expectation is that people from all over the U.K. will comply, we hope all our members will support this initiative.
New TUPE Regulations
The DTI has delayed the implementation of the new TUPE regulations until 6th April 2006. Originally the plan was to lay the new regulations before Parliament by 1 July 2005, bringing them into force on 1 October 2005. However, as a result of the large volume of responses to the consultation exercise, which closed on 7 June 2005, and the many issues that have been raised by respondents, Ministers have decided to set a new timetable for finalising the Regulations. The main change that the new regulations will make include widening the scope of TUPE in ‘contracting-out’ situations; clarifying the law on transfer-related dismissals; imposing an obligation on the transferor to notify the transferee of all rights and liabilities that will pass on the transfer and giving greater flexibility where the transferor is insolvent. We will report further on these new regulations once they have been finalised.
Cambridge to come out top?
Details of the full scales and HERA scoring are eagerly awaited from Cambridge University. Rumours abound that the pay rates at Cambridge will reflect the high status Cambridge is keen to achieve as one of the best research institutions in the world. Cambridge traditionally announces its statute changes via the Cambridge Reporter. For those of you keen to find out the level and grade pay rates may like to keep in touch at the Reporter web address http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/
Mike Robinson National Officer for Education said ” We have had extensive negotiations at HR and Pro Vice Chancellor level about the introduction of HERA and formation of grade boundaries. These have produced good preliminary results. We have negotiated a full time union secondment and the union has nominated at least one role analyst. The next stages will be the grade rates and HERA scores being matched to individual posts. We are quietly optimistic that this will prove to be acceptable to the vast majority of our members. For those who are red circled we will endeavour to keep pressing that their posts and pay are protected”.
Budget Changes for Further Education Colleges
In a response to a House of Commons question from Annette Brooks M.P. Bill Rammell, Secretary of State for Education and Skills responded that the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) received its grant letter for 2005/6 indicating that the key priorities for 2005/6 are to meet the needs of young people, especially those lacking literacy, numeracy and English language skills and those without a foundation of skills for employment. The planned expenditure for 2005/6 has shown a 7% increase over 2004/5 with the LSC allocating funds to providers to deliver the priorities of the Government which are set out annually in the grant letter. Mike Robinson, Amicus National Officer said “this response from Bill is very interesting, however what he does not mention is the responses from over 400 colleges who were contacted by the TES, who have indicated that they are seriously concerned about the funding allocations causing serious budget shortfalls – where there are some winners but many losers. In the responses to the TES 30% of respondents said they would get less funding than last year, 77% said they would get less than anticipated and 51% said they would have to cut jobs which in the case of one college amounts to 60 staff. A Government focus on 16-18 year olds has caught the LSC on the hop and we are seriously concerned for our members futures and how colleges are going to deal with the shortfall”.
JNCHES Negotiations Information
JNCHES, the negotiating forum for most staff working in Universities, met on the 23rd June at Glasgow to consider the pay claims from both academic and support unions including Amicus. The employer’s side made the following offer effective from 1 August 2005:
3% increase on all pay points (old scales and Framework spine) above £13,200
Higher increases for the lowest paid of: £500 addition to pay points below £11,500; £450 addition to pay points between £11,500 and £12,500; and £400 addition to pay points between £12,500 and £13,200.
Increases in London weighting rates at post-92 HEIs of: £100 on Inner London rates; £60 on Outer London rates; £80 on GLC area rates; and £25 on Fringe Area rates.
These increases would raise minimum hourly rates in the sector as follows:
. in pre-92 HEIs using the old national scales, from £5.27 to £5.67 (+7.6%)
. in post-92 HEIs using the old national scales, from £5.31 to £5.86 (+10.4%)
. In HEIs using the Framework pay spine, from £5.33 to £5.73 (+7.5%)
The new Amicus Higher Education National Industry Committee met on 14th July, in London, to consider the offer. The committee, by a majority vote, decided to accept the offer on pay but with some conditions applying. These were, that the acceptance is subject to an agreed understanding between Amicus and UCEA to reopen discussions should any other union negotiate any higher percentage/salary increase or any changes to the framework pay spine or any other item Amicus considers should apply to its members. If an understanding cannot be reached or it is not applied then Amicus reserves the right to reject the offer and revert to a ballot for industrial action. Amicus has written to UCEA in those terms and a formal reply is anticipated. HENIC also agreed that the offer on London Weighting would be referred to the Amicus London Region Education Committee for its consideration and advice. Other unions are currently consulting on the offer, some with recommendations to accept. We will keep you informed of any further developments.
Bullying in Universities Survey
The Times Higher in conjunction with Dr Petra Boynton of University College London are carrying a survey about the extent of bullying in higher education institutions. The aim of the survey is to identify the different views and experiences of people who have experienced bullying, have been accused of bullying or witnessed bullying in their workplaces. The survey is open to all academic or academic related staff in institutions in the U.K. and Northern Ireland. There is an online questionnaire and the survey is completely confidential. Please feel free to inform other colleagues and workers in other institutions about the survey. To participate in the survey please go to www.thes.co.uk/bullying if you would like further information about the survey and its objectives please contact Dr Petra Boynton.
Burma Campaign UK
A delegation of high profile women from various walks of life have met with Tony Blair to encourage the British Government to do all they can to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the event is part of a global campaign to coincide with her 60th birthday, a birthday that she will spend on her own with no visitors, no telephone and guarded by barbed wire and armed patrols. To also support the campaign a record has been released by Damian Rice called ‘Unplayed Piano’ (singles cost £1.99) and all of the proceeds go to the campaign to release Aung San Suu Kyi. We hope our members will also support the campaign and go out and buy this record. For further information about the campaign please go to www.burmacampaign.org.uk
Government Spending Review
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has announced that the next Government Spending Review has been postponed. The spending review is the process which the Government uses to set three-year departmental expenditure limits. The Chancellor told the Treasury Select Committee today that the review will be moved to 2007 to coincide with a long-term 10-year plan, which will completely reassess how the Government spends taxpayers’ money. The 10-year plan will look at all areas of government spending. Gordon Brown said, “To ensure we are equipped to meet the challenges of the next 10 years, we are now instituting a second Comprehensive Spending Review to consider from a zero base the next stage of meeting our public service objectives. With this long termist approach, which rejects the short termism of the past, a report will be made on these public spending challenges in 2006, the government will report on the next three year spending review covering 2008 to 2011 in 2007, we will hold departmental allocations to the agreed figures already announced for 2007-8.”
This bulletin has been produced by Janet Golds, Research Officer for the Higher Education Sector. If you have any news items you would like included in the e-bulletin, please contact Janet Golds.