Following a meeting on 30 November 2022, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) and national trade unions (including UCU, UNISON and Unite) have outlined a process to bring forward the 2023-24 New JNCHES pay round, with the aim of facilitating an early settlement to the pay round.
Negotiations normally take place annually, between March and May, with the aim of achieving settlement and implementation by August. This latest commitment will see up to three negotiating meetings take place in December and January and – if required – an accelerated formal Dispute Resolution Process, with the aim of concluding the pay round by the end of January 2023.
Both sides agree to de-escalate the current dispute during the above-described intense period of negotiations, including the impact of and employer responses to action short of strike.
Whilst UCEA and its participating employers view the 2022-23 pay round as closed, employers also recognise that the unions do not regard the 2022-23 round as concluded and would want any settlement of 2023-24 to take account of this. The employers agreed to consider this as part of the 2023-24 pay round.
