Pay Deal accepted
Job Evaluation
HESDA training for technicians
“Everything you wanted to know about grading appeals but are afraid to ask!”
New Toolkit for Partnership Working available at Amicus HE website
Africa Matters Photo Exhibition available
Trade unions and the environment – Short course for reps
Plan for Irish Higher Education Institutions still not fully implemented
University Nursery Provision
Hot workers urged to adopt cool Japanese summer dress code
Pay Deal accepted
All six unions have now ratified the JNCHES pay deal. Amicus members overwhelmingly agreed to accept the deal with 93.7% supporting the result.
The pay deal provides for a pay increase of 13.1% over three years with higher increases for the lowest paid staff. Amicus is pleased with the results of these negotiations and that the firm stand that negotiators have taken on the lowest paid grades has successfully paid off.
Amicus National Officer, Mike Robinson said “this is a good deal for members and a good deal for universities. Amicus’ constructive action strategy has paid off and as a result Amicus members are better off.â€
Full details of the deal and other relevant documents.
Job Evaluation
Framework implementations have been flooding in with varied results. There have been good deals at York , Exeter and Lancaster . In York the deal offers a good model on contribution progression:
Framework and grading structure on the York University website
The Exeter agreement has an excellent red circling policy for a full copy of the agreement visit:
Agreement for the Implementation of the Framework Agreement at the University of Exeter [PDF]
Lancaster have been successful in achieving a positive craft deal further details are not available online but contact can be made through our senior representatives at Lancaster .
In Scotland deals are also progressing well. Aberdeen has voted to accept their draft agreement. Edinburgh has a deal going to ballot and Dundee and Strathclyde are close to completion.
Some Wales HEI’s lag behind due to late funding problems but that could benefit their negotiations as they can compare with the successes of other institutions.
In Northern Ireland , the University of Ulster appears to have problems. Not only is UoU imposing a pay deal off the UCEA spine that looks worse for 2008 but the JE appears to have hit some snags. Currently there are discussions taking place with HR but the proposed moves do not look in line with partnership principles.
HESDA training for technicians
Amicus has been negotiating with UCEA on them adopting HESDA training courses for technicians. HESDA (The Higher Education Staff Development Agency) offer a wide range of training courses covering subjects from workplace skills and development to specific courses on scientific processes.
For more information on the HESDA Technical Skill Development project visit: http://www.hesda.org.uk/subjects/sd/technical.html
“Everything you wanted to know about
grading appeals but are afraid to ask!”
“Everything you wanted to know about grading appeals but are afraid to ask!” – New Amicus Training course for senior reps
Amicus has developed a new training course for senior reps to take place on 8-9 November 2006 at our college at Esher . The course will help senior reps learn more about grading appeals and develop the skills to successfully handle them.
There is limited availability for the course and it will only be open to senior reps. For more information please contact: Vera Titmus
New Toolkit for Partnership Working available at Amicus HE website
Amicus and other unions in HE have just signed off the new toolkit to be introduced for the advancement of Partnership Working. The Toolkit was originally funded by HEFCE and was developed jointly with UCEA.
Amicus National Officer Mike Robinson said “The toolkit is a valuable resource in implementing partnership working. Amicus wants those wayward HR Directors who often don’t know what partnership working means or where their elbow is, to get the message and start working in partnership with their recognised trade unionsâ€.
The website also gives a list of Institutions that have signed up to partnership programmes and others who have said No. If you would like your institution to sign up to the Partnership working programme and you have hit some resistance from your HR let the National office know. The matter will then be taken up with UCEA.
For details see Higher Education News on the Amicus Sector website: www.amicustheunion.org
Africa Matters Photo Exhibition available
The Africa Matters Photo Exhibition is now available for use in workplaces or at any Amicus events. Amicus’ Africa Matters campaign is an opportunity for Amicus members to get involved and active with issues facing people in Africa . Africa Matters is an opportunity to make contact and work with your sister unions in southern African countries to overcome some of the most pressing issues facing the continent.
The photo display can be a great organising tool. In many companies Amicus has already held Africa Matters days and many members have joined because of it.
There are leaflets which publicise the exhibition available. If you are interested in booking the display please contact Ashraf Choudhury on 020 7420 8914
Trade unions and the environment – Short course for reps
This summer, the TUC is launching a Green Work places project aimed at building our capacity to tackle energy and climate change issues at work.
But how can we work more efficiently, get more from less, and re-use resources? What can workers, unions and employers do together to change how we work and to work sustainably, now?
This new TUC course aims to answer these questions.
http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/education/learn-796-f0.cfm
Plan for Irish Higher Education Institutions still not fully implemented
Amicus has learnt that a plan for Irish HEI’s first published in 2004 still has not been fully implemented despite it being seen by the Irish Education and Science Minister Mary Hanafin the Dún Laoghaire Fianna Fáil T.D.
For a full copy of the report click here.
University Nursery Provision
The Times Higher education supplement has found that universities offer vastly superior childcare provision than other employers. According to the survey all but two of the 38 institutions that responded provided childcare on or near campus, in the form of either a nursery or a crèche. This compares to just 5 per cent of employers that generally according to the National Day Nurseries Association.
The Times also pointed out that although in general university childcare is cheaper than private day nurseries the costs of such provision vary significantly from institution to institution. For example Middlesex University charges £825 a month for under-twos, while Brighton University offers the lowest rate charge of £347 a month. For more information visit: www.thes.co.uk
Hot workers urged to adopt cool Japanese summer dress code
The TUC has launched its ‘cool work’ campaign as it urges employers in the UK to follow the lead of Japanese businesses and relax dress codes as the temperature rises.
The TUC believes that the best way for staff to keep cool inside when it’s hot outside is for employees to be able to sport more casual attire in the office, perhaps coming in jacket and tie-less, or wearing shorts.
Employers who provide their staff with a cool and comfortable work environment will get more out of them, says the TUC. And bosses who give summer garb the green light could also save on their energy bills, by turning down or even turning off the air con. For the full article on the TUC website, click here.
This e-bulletin has been produced by James Lazou, Research Officer for the Higher Education sector. If you have any news items or stories you would like included in the bulletin please contact James