Bedfordshire university support staff win more holidays

Support staff at the University of Bedfordshire have won an extra five days’ paid holiday, says UNISON today. It follows a long campaign by the union to highlight what is says is the unfair difference in annual leave entitlement between support staff, who work in professional services, and academics. From September, full-time professional services staff […]

University of Bedfordshire strikes loom unless pay increases, says UNISON

University support staff in Bedfordshire have voted to strike over a “sub-par” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON today. Cleaners, IT technicians, library staff and other higher education workers at the University of Bedfordshire and another eight institutions across England will now decide on dates to take action unless […]

Raise wages to prevent Bedfordshire university strikes, UNISON tells UCEA

Support staff at the University of Bedforshire are to be balloted from today for industrial action over the “inadequate” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON. Over the next five weeks, higher education workers including cleaners, IT technicians and library staff are to vote on whether to strike after the […]

University of East Anglia punishes low paid by scrapping real living wage commitment

The University of East Anglia (UEA) has scrapped its commitment to the real living wage for its lowest-paid employees, UNISON reveals today. University bosses told around 300 cleaners, nursery staff and other workers on the lowest salaries today that they will not receive an expected pay increase next month. The real living wage is independently […]

University of East Anglia still has serious questions to answer over financial mess

University of East Anglia (UEA) bosses seem unable to answer the most simple questions about how they got sucked into a financial black hole, UNISON warns today. The union, which represents hundreds of cleaners, librarians, security guards and other professional services staff at the university, said UEA leaders appear to have no plan for getting […]

Delegates to UNISON Higher Education conference hold placards reading 'No cuts at UEA'

UNISON Higher Education conference stands behind cuts-threatened UEA staff

Higher Education workers from across the UK showed solidarity with staff at Norwich’s University of East Anglia today. They took time out from UNISON’s Higher Education conference to send a clear message to UEA bosses to stop cuts which could lop up to 20% off budgets. The university has been scant on the details of […]

University workers reject below-inflation pay offer and vote on strike action

University workers including administrators, cleaners, security and catering staff are voting on whether to strike over pay, says UNISON today. Staff from the University of Bedfordshire, University of the Arts Norwich and University of East Anglia are balloting after overwhelmingly rejecting a 3% pay offer from the University and Colleges Employers Association in May. Nationally, […]

Shelves full of library books

Tackling racial discrimination in our universities

They’re supposed to be enlightened institutions of learning, but too often workers and students in universities face racism, says Tim Roberts. Luckily, UNISON is helping to do something about it

MP and mayor join University of East Anglia staff rallying against 0% pay offer

Norwich South MP Clive Lewis and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Dr Nik Johnson are joining University of East Anglia staff rallying this evening against an “insulting” 0% pay offer for 2020. Professional services staff are currently balloting over industrial action after the national Universities and Colleges Employers Association imposed a 0% ‘rise’ at the end […]

Four people hold up signs reading 'Vote Yes'

University of Bedfordshire staff rally against 0% pay offer

University of Bedfordshire staff rallied in Luton today over an “insulting” 0% pay offer for 2020. Professional services staff are currently balloting over industrial action after the national Universities and Colleges Employers Association imposed a 0% ‘rise’ at the end of much-delayed talks on the August 2020 pay award. Universities union UNISON held a protest […]

Universities unveil plan to wipe racism from campuses

UNISON has welcomed the publication of new guidance to tackle racial harassment in the higher education sector. Universities UK (UUK) has published the new set of recommendations designed to decisively tackle racial harassment as part of wider efforts to address racial inequality in the UK higher education. UNISON was involved in the UUK advisory group […]

Survey reveals staff fears ahead of universities reopening

University staff including cleaners, security guards and administrative workers are facing a perfect storm of pressures that are leaving them out of pocket, and feeling increasingly anxious, a UNISON survey published this week has found. More than 160 employees in the east of England completed the union’s annual higher education survey, which exposed concerns about pay, working hours and […]

University of Hertfordshire redundancy plans a raw deal for staff and students

Plans to sack nearly half of the caterers at the University of Hertfordshire because of Covid-19 are a raw deal for staff and students alike, UNISON warns today. Contractor Aramark is planning major cuts in catering operations because of Covid-19 and last week informed staff that they are at risk of redundancy, suggesting 46 of […]

Lowest paid protected from University of East Anglia Covid-19 cuts

The University of East Anglia’s lower-paid staff will be protected from planned cuts under a new deal struck with unions, UNISON reveals today. UEA faces a £35m financial shortfall because of Covid-19 and has already asked staff to take voluntary pay cuts through reduced hours and voluntary redundancies. University bosses also wanted to impose a […]

University of East Anglia cleans up its overtime payments

More than 100 cleaners at the University of East Anglia are looking forward to a boost in their March pay cheques after UNISON secured them thousands of pounds in missed holiday pay. Some staff will receive as much £300 after UNISON raised a grievance over the Norwich university’s failure to include regularly worked overtime in […]