Aberdeen Universities UNISON

State Funeral - Strike Dates Change

Following the events of the last week, and the subsequent national mourning period and planned state funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II, the strike action due to take place at RGU on Monday 19th September has now been cancelled.

The state funeral marks the end of the national mourning period and employers will be working as normal from Tuesday 20th September.

The remaining strike dates announced will therefore continue as planned on 20th and 21st September and 3rd and 4th October.

Categories: Ballot | Branch | Members | Pay | RGU

STRIKE! RGU Dates Announced

STRIKE - Take Action! 

Dates have now been announced for industrial action at the Robert Gordon University over the derisory 3% pay award this year. 

We are asking all members to take strike action and not attend the workplace on the following dates:

• Monday 19th September
  Monday strike action is no longer taking place due to State funeral.
   
• Tuesday 20th September
• Wednesday 21st September
• Monday 3rd October
• Tuesday 4th October

As you will have seen in earlier communications, almost 80% of members rejected this year's 3% pay award.  This offer is worth only £65 a month for many of our middle grades, and even though lower grades had a higher percentage applied to the national pay spine, those grades are already so low that the larger increases would have minimal effect due to us already paying above the pay spine points due to the fact that we, along with most other universities, already pay the real living wage rate.

With energy bills skyrocketing, and interest rates going up, that amount simply is not enough, especially as it come after years of below inflation pay awards (including 0% in 2020).

ALL MEMBERS JOIN THE STRIKE ACTION!! 

Only by standing together to reject the pay offer will anything change.  Enough is enough, and HE members simply can't absorb another below inflation pay rise.  It is time to take a stand and ensure that the university knows that the current pay award is unacceptable.

Further information and FAQ on industrial action.

Categories: Branch | Campaigns | Pay | RGU | Strike

RGU Members Vote for Strike Action Over Pay

Higher Education pay campaign and strike ballot 2022 - Results

Members at both the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University have overwhelmingly rejected the employer's pay offer this year.

79.2% of Robert Gordon University members who voted, voted to reject the pay offer, and more than half of UNISON members voted, meaning the vote has met the threshhold for industrial action.

71.4% of University of Aberdeen members who voted, voted to reject the pay offer, however we were just two votes short of meeting the threshhold for industrial action.  Regrettably therefore even though members rejected the pay offer, industrial action cannot take place at UofA.

The branch committee will meet this week to decide on next steps and to co-ordinate industrial action with other branches in Scotland and elsewhere.  We will provide more information on what happens next as soon as possible.

We would like to thank everyone who voted to reject this derisory pay offer, which does nothing to address the severe cost of living crisis we are now going through, and comes on the back of years of below inflation pay increases, including a 0% increase in 2020, and just 2% in 2021. 

We trust that all members will now back this democratic decision and send a clear message to HE employers that this pay award is not acceptable, and that they must come back to the negotiating table with a significantly better offer.

On behalf of the
UNISON AUB Branch Committte

Categories: Ballot | Branch | Members | Pay | Strike

We're Worth More! Vote YES for Strike Action

The University and Colleges Employers Association have made their final pay offer: a below-inflation pay rise of 3% for most Higher Education staff and between 9% and 3% for those on pay points 3 to 19. They didn’t offer any more during the dispute process and will now impose this pay increase on 1 August 2022.

With RPI inflation at 11.8% and your pay only set to go up by 3% this pay rise is a pay cut. The higher increases on the lower spinal points are partly being proposed to keep pay at legal rates – we think you’re worth more than that.

Vote YES to strike for the pay you deserve.

Higher Education Strike Ballot 2022

Categories: Ballot | Branch | Members | Pay | Strike

Branch Christmas Competition 2021 - RESULTS

The branch held our prize draw for our fantastic Christmas Competition yesterday and we're pleased to announce we now have our three prize winners and fourteen runners up for this year.

The prizes this year were:

• an amazing Acer Predator Gaming Laptop.
• two fantastic Apple iPad Minis (2021)
• and Fourteen runners up received £25 Vouchers!

Our prize winners draw was overseen by our Branch Chairperson, Julie Yackiminie and Branch Secretary Owen Cox on Tuesday and were:

• First Prize:  Elinor Sutherland
• Second Prizes:  Randall Gillespie & Jayne Marooth
• Runners-up:  Henry Cheese, Lindsey Connon, Shirley Cooper, David Duthie, George Irvine, Lucyna Ksiazek, Alan McLean, Ailsa McWhirter, Susan Mitchell, Joanne Saripanidis, Marie Sherriffs, Jan Smith, Jill Smith, and Stephanie Spence.

Our competition this year was an anagram, "HURLPOD".  The letters were are all mixed up, but could be rearranged to spell out a name often associated with Christmas - which was of course "RUDOLPH".   Well done to everyone who got the right answer!

Congratulations to all our winners, and to everyone out there, have a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Categories: Branch | Information

Branch Christmas Competition 2021

Once more we are running our fantastic Christmas Competition, which is open to members only for all our current UNISON members at both the Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen.

Prizes this year are an amazing top of the range Gaming Laptop. We'll also have two Apple iPad minis up for grabs and £25 shopping vouchers for runners up.

Entry is online only this year:

• UNISON Branch Christmas Competition - Enter Here! 

Don’t leave it too late to send your entry - enter today!

Categories: Benefits | Branch | Members

Branch Christmas Competition 2020 - Results

The branch held our prize draw for our fantastic Christmas Competition and we're pleased to announce we now have our 5 prize winners and eight runners up for this year.

The prizes this year were:

• an amazing Lenovo Legion 5 top-of-the-range Gaming Laptop.
• a lovely Prosecco and Chocolates Hamper (x2)
• a great Wine and Snacks box Hamper (x2)
• and Eight runners up received £20 Vouchers!

Our prize winners draw was overseen by our Branch Chairperson, Julie Yackiminie on Tuesday and were:

• First Prize:  Carol McKerron
• Second Prizes:  Roy Glennie & Ruth Steele
• Third Prizes:  Lauren Hossack & Iain Bell
• Runners-up: Janice Wright, Rhona Skene, Joanne Procee, Scott Murison, David Milne, Alison Mcleod, Wendy Arthur, and Shirley McQeen

Our competition this year was an odd one out and people were asked to select the odd one out from A: Christmas Pudding, B: Chocolate Yule Log, C: Christmas Tree and D: Brussel Sprouts.

We know there are a number of ways you could look at it, but we were only looking for one right answer and that was "C: Christmas Tree" as the other things are all things you would eat (although we do admit some people would debate whether Brussel Sprouts are edible!).  Well done to everyone who got the answer we were looking for!

Congratulations to all our winners, and to everyone out there, have a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Categories: Benefits | Branch