On 7 September the first meeting of the New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) dispute resolution procedure was held, aimed at resolving the 2015/2016 pay round dispute with University and College Union (UCU), Unite and Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS*).
During the meeting the parties discussed the reasons for the rejection of the offer, the constraints on the sector, and the employers’ offer on the pay equality elements of the claim.
Discussions will continue under the dispute resolution procedure and the parties will meet again on 17 September.
Once an agreement is reached the outcome will be back dated to 1 August 2015.
*In an earlier update UNISON was listed as one of the three unions in dispute with HE employers. This is incorrect – it should have stated Unite not UNISON as the other union in dispute. For the avoidance of doubt, UNISON has voted to accept the HE pay offer for 2015 /2016.
For further information please see the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) , UCU and Unite websites.