8 July 2022

To the Joint Trade Unions’ Local Pay Representatives – FULL AND FINAL OFFER

Dear Colleagues,

Without prejudice

Thank you for sharing your members response to the College’s full and final pay offer and for meeting with the negotiating team on 1 July 2022.

The negotiating team fully understand the concerns you have shared in relation to the impact of rising inflation and energy costs on all staff, and lower paid staff in particular.

Following the meeting on 1 July 2022, you were verbally asked to consider submitting a revised offer that you would be able to recommend to your members. Thank you for taking the time to do this – as you know, our preference is always to be able to reach a formal agreement with you.

We were somewhat surprised that the revised offer was one that you had already put forward, and that had already been considered by Provost’s Board and responded to in our full and final offer as follows:

The negotiating team on behalf of Provost’s Board have considered your revised pay claim of “8% with a £4k floor and £8k ceiling”. Unfortunately, we are unable to meet this request, as it would be a recurring cost of circa £44m (including £15.6m externally funded costs).

We have shared with you the College’s financial position, including that we will post an operating deficit this year and are budgeting for the same next year.

Unfortunately, our positions are so far apart that we are left with no option but to implement our full and final offer as outlined in our letter dated 27 May 2022.

College Pay Full and Final Offer 2022/23

The effective date of the increase will be 1 August 2022.

·       3.3% pay increase across the board, subject to a:

o   £1,500 minimum payment

o   £3,300 maximum payment

The distribution of the award in this way (excluding any incremental increases) for the 52-point pay scale means there will be a greater increase to salaries for the lower to middle paid staff, who may be more affected by inflation and energy costs

·       Staff earning £22,309:  8.5% increase

·       Staff earning £22,610:  8.15% increase

·       Staff earning £22,909:  8% increase

·       Staff earning between £23,685 and £44,624:  6.33% to 3.36% increase

·       Staff earning between £45,796 up to £100,000: 3.3% increase

·       Staff earning above £100,000: 3.3% increase reducing to 1.1% increase by £300,000

The 29-point pay scales will increase by between 3.3% and 4.09%.

As always, we are happy to continue the pay award dialogue with you should you wish to look at what other options we can consider, outside of base pay.

Yours sincerely

Audrey Fraser on behalf of the College negotiating team

Cc:       Harbhajan Brar – Director of HR

            Richard Craster – Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences

            Tony Lawrence – Director of Finance

            Tim Venables – Faculty Operating Officer, Faculty of Engineering

            Lynne Cox – Director of Research Office

            Jane Neary – Director of Campus Services  

            Lois Wiggins – HR Reward Manager

            Amy Morton – HR Group Senior Coordinator

            Iram Sher – HR Coordinator (Reward, Engagement & Policy)

 

CC:      Staff side representatives

            Tom Pike – UCU

            Vijay Tymms – UCU  

            Amanda Sackur – UCU

            Tanya Hunt – Unison

            Tahreen Dwan – Unison

            Susan Parker – Unite

            Andrew Murray – Unite