HESGE DECISION ON INDUSTRIAL ACTION

UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE) met  on 20th September to discuss the results of the industrial action ballot on the 2016/17 national pay offer.

A long and considered discussion took place, which took into account the close vote in the ballot, a disappointing turnout and the knowledge that it was likely that if UNISON did take strike action it would not be with all other unions (due to notable differences in positions and timetables). Joint union action has been key to previous successful action.

Taking this into account it was reluctantly agreed that UNISON would not take industrial action on this occasion. The HESGE felt that the ballot results and views from regions meant that the union could not deliver a sufficiently strong strike to force the employers to improve their derisory pay offer.

UNISON is committed to national pay bargaining and will continue to campaign to improve members pay, terms and conditions in higher education.   Further discussions will take place at UNISON’s forthcoming HE branch seminar, which will also focus on the need to build membership and engage members in future industrial action ballots.