Higher Education Pay 2023-24
Here is what the employers have imposed for the 2023-24 pay uplift:
Pay talks with the University and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) ended in impasse, rather than agreement. UCEA made their latest final pay offer for 2023-24 during the ACAS facilitated dispute resolution talks in February: another below-inflation pay rise.
RPI inflation was 13.8% in February 2023 and even CPI was 10.4%, like many other workers across the country, between 2022-23 and 2023-24 UNISON members in HE received the biggest ever real terms pay cut.
Here are the amounts the employers instructed their members to increase salaries by from 1 August 2023 and what we won early:
| Pay Offer 2023/2024 | |
|---|---|
| Spinal column points | Uplift |
| 3 – 5 | 8% |
| 6 – 14 | 7% |
| 15 – 25 | 6% |
| 26 – 51 | 5% |
However, it was not all bad news. Thanks to UNISON members taking strike action in 2022 sufficient pressure was put on the employers to give us a better offer than they would have done for 2023-24. Since we consulted members on this offer, we achieved a slight increase in the portion of the offer that was implemented six months early. After talks with ACAS, the amount added to annual salaries was £1,000 or 2% of salary, whichever was the greater, backdated to February 2023, as follows:
| Spinal Column Points | Uplift |
|---|---|
| 3 – 41 | £1000 |
| 42-51 | 2% |
Use our pay calculator to find out how much your annual salary went up by when the offer is implemented
Try our 2023/24 HE Pay Calculator
So, we won early payment of some extra money for everyone, but overall the pay award imposed is still a real-terms pay cut.
What was the outcome of the member consultation on the pay offer for 2023-24?
Our digital member consultation on the previous 2023-24 pay offer from UCEA, with the same percentage rises but less paid from 1 February, closed on 9 February. The outcome was an 82% vote to reject the offer UK-wide, on a 34.3% turnout.
What is happening now in the dispute with UCEA over 2023-24 pay?
Following unsuccessful negotiations through ACAS and subsequent correspondence, the trade union side and employers’ side have reached agreement to work together on a joint review of sector finances. We will also hold concurrent discussions on the current obstacles to ending the dispute and any progress that could be made on those.
Until agreement is reached on those obstacles UNISON will continue our campaign of strike action across the UK – watch this space for further announcements.
Why are there strikes?
UNISON members are striking for a pay rise that keeps up with inflation. With the cost-of-living crisis and increased bills they simply can’t afford to live on the money that employers have imposed. Pay in higher education has continually not kept up with inflation and the real value of our members earnings has fallen by around 25% over 14 years.