Imperial's Negotiation Team and JTU have agreed upon the statements below.
Local Pay Bargaining – Joint Statement
At Imperial, pay and reward arrangements are negotiated through local pay bargaining. This means the university works directly with our recognised Trade Unions - UCU, Unison and Unite - to agree pay increases, benefits and other reward-related terms and conditions that reflect Imperial’s context and priorities.
Across the majority of the UK Higher Education sector, pay is negotiated nationally by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), with sector-wide pay increases agreed collectively and applied across participating institutions.
Local bargaining allows Imperial to take a tailored approach to reward, giving the university and Trade Unions the opportunity to consider pay, benefits and broader employment terms in the round. This flexibility allows consideration of pay, benefits and broader employment terms.
The Joint Trade Unions presented their pay claim to the University Management Board at its meeting on 13 April. The Board considered the Unions’ claim, alongside the supporting information provided, and subsequently set the parameters for the negotiations.
At the first formal negotiating meeting held in late-April, both sides committed to working constructively to identify as much common ground as possible over the coming weeks with the aim of reaching an agreed settlement. Both sides engaged in positive, productive discussions on the areas to be considered throughout the negotiations, examining pay and leave elements collectively in line with the union pay claim for the 2026-27 award and mandate agreed by the University Management Board. The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue negotiations on these areas. Three further meetings are scheduled to take place on 6 May, 4 June, and 24 June.
Discussions will remain confidential until the conclusion of the final meeting, at which point the University community will be fully updated. Unlike previous years, there will not be regular interim updates.
At the conclusion of this process, the University will present the Joint Trade Unions with its full and final pay offer, which will also be communicated to the wider University community. Members of the Joint Trade Unions will then vote on whether to accept the offer.
Further information on the Annual Pay Award and Annual Pay Bargaining Process can be found here.