Pay negotiations between the higher education trade unions (UNISON, UCU, Unite, GMB and EIS) and the employers (via their negotiating body the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, UCEA) have concluded.

The full and final offer tabled by UCEA on 27 April 2017 is a 1.7% increase on all points on the pay spine, with additional payments for those at the lower end.

This is effective from August 2017.

There are also proposals to work on the gender pay gap and to review progress around casual employment.

Read full details of the joint union claim.

Read full details of the final offer.

UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE) decided at its meeting on 4 May 2017 that this offer is the best to be achieved by negotiation, and that if members vote to reject the offer, sustained and prolonged industrial action would be required.

In line with UNISON policy, the final offer is first of all subject to a Branch consultation exercise, which will end on 3 July 2017. This Branch will therefore be putting in place arrangements to consult with members in order to report back to HESGE, and so please look out for further communications and information.

If, based on the results of this consultation, HESGE decides on a course of action including industrial action, then this would be put to members in a further, centrally conducted, ballot. In accordance with the Trade Union Act, a turnout of at least 40% would be required in order to make a vote for industrial action legally valid.

Rejection of the pay offer in an industrial action ballot would initiate a campaign of industrial action in line with UNISON rules and conference policy. UNISON would endeavour to work alongside other unions wherever possible on joint action.

Nine out of ten of us have a profile on social media, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or your own blog. It can be easy to forget that what you post on these sites can be read by other people – including your employer.

Sheffield Hallam’s social media policy states that “you should consider carefully before posting comments which could be linked to the University that could cause offence, or be viewed as contravening confidentiality”. It also warns employees not to be “inappropriately critical” of the University.

Here are some basic tips to help you avoid getting into trouble at work.

• Make sure your privacy settings are as secure as you can make it. But bear in mind that one of your contacts could take a screengrab of what you have written, so it’s important to take care with what you say.
• Be mindful of who you give access to.
• Don’t make reference to the company that you work for.
• Don’t post or allow others to post on your profile anything that could be taken as defamatory,  harassing, obscene, libellous or otherwise unlawful or offensive.
• Don’t post anything that contains personal threats or insults relating to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic, racial, religious or other protected characteristics under equality law.
• Be careful about what pictures and videos you allow to be posted of you.

UNISON HE SG conf 2017

Report by Tracey Holland and Lucinda Wakefield

Like all UK universities, at Sheffield Hallam we have many members of staff from across the EU.

Since the referendum last year, there has been a great deal of uncertainty for EU citizens living and working in the UK. We don’t know what the outcomes of the Brexit negotiations will be, but UNISON will continue to campaign for the right of EU citizens to remain here.

In the meantime, we have created a booklet providing practical help to UNISON members whose right to live and work in the UK is dependent on their citizenship of another EU country.

Read our advice here (PDF).