Aberdeen Universities UNISON

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

RGU Agrees 35 Hour Week and Increased Holidays

Members at the Robert Gordon University will have seen the email from the Principal, Prof Steve Olivier with regard to harmonising working hours and leave entitlement.

UNISON are delighted that we have managed to achieve this agreement at RGU after many years.  To be clear for all staff, the 35 hour week and harmonisation of holidays with academic staff is directly due to the efforts of UNISON and other trade unions.  The principal of fairness in holidays and the 35 hour week was a key part of the framework agreement back in 2006, and was to be implemented across the Higher Education sector.

UNISON at RGU have continually raised this issue with the University, however until recently little progress had been made.  With the onset of the pandemic and the rise of hybrid working, we raised this issue once again with the University, particularly in the context of further benefits applying to some staff - i.e. those who have the option of working from home, whilst staff who do not have that option could not.  At the same time those staff still suffered the significant inequality where holidays were not only less than academic staff, but also less than professional and support staff on higher grades.

We were encouraged therefore when we had one of our first meetings with Prof Olivier, and raised the issue of working hours and harmonisation of holidays.  In that meeting Prof Olivier was clear that he also shared the concern over this inequality and was keen to do something about it.  This then culminated in a meeting earlier this month where UNISON was very happy to agree to the proposed changes through our collective bargaining agreement, on behalf of all staff.

Those changes met our expectations in full and mean that:

• All P&SS staff will reduce hours from 37 to 35 per week, with no loss of pay, and no detriment – part time staff will reduce hours pro-rata – hourly rate will increase.
• All P&SS staff will increase holidays to match academic staff (36 days + 10 fixed days).  That means our lowest paid staff will receive an addition 8 days holiday a year (from 28+10 previously).

I'm sure you will all agree that this is a great result for all staff, and will welcome the news in the same way that we did.

Categories: Benefits | Information | Members | RGU

UNISON Annual General Meeting 2022

It's now time for the branch Annual General Meeting.  As you'll appreciate this year will be a little different, and the AGM will take place via Zoom, and will be a single AGM for UNISON members from both Universities.  Registration is required to attend.

Monday 28^th March 2022
12.30pm – 1.30pm

Register for the AGM Online

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Papers and agendas will be sent out to members in advance of the meetings.  Please also ensure you complete and submit any nomination forms for stewards and branch officers prior to the meeting.

Categories: AGM | Members

Not Good Enough! Vote YES for Strike Action!

What did you think of the latest higher education pay offer for 2021/2?

Not good enough. That’s what we think. A measly 1.5% pay rise – for the majority of staff – is all they think you’re worth. With inflation running at over 3%, this is a real terms pay cut. Plus the value of HE pay has fallen by over 17% in the last 12 years.

To add insult to injury, hard-working university staff are now facing a massive increase in living costs as they face a double whammy of rocketing gas and electricity prices as well as increasing national insurance payments of 1.25% from April 2022.

We can’t wait any longer, 1.5% isn’t going to cut it and we need to let them know now by standing together.

Vote YES to strike for the pay you deserve.

Higher Education Strike Ballot 2021

Categories: Ballot | Members | Pay

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

Free £25 Gift Voucher for Branch Members! (2021)

Last year you may remember we ran a gift voucher scheme for members in lieu of our usual social activities during the year.  Once again this year these haven't been possible due to the pandemic.  The voucher scheme was very well received so we've decided to run it again this year, and this time we're offering vouchers of your choice from love2shoprewards to the value of £25!

Once again the branch committee would like to say a big thank you to all our members for all the fantastic work you've been doing under very difficult circumstances. 

To claim your gift voucher please register online - we'll then get them ordered and codes distributed to everyone which will allow you to claim your gift voucher from the many available at www.love2shoprewards.co.uk

All registrations should be received by Sunday 14th November 2021 to allow us time to process the order and get the codes out to you by early December - in time for a bit of Christmas shopping!

Categories: Benefits | Members

Vote YES to strike for the pay we deserve!

This week, you should receive a ballot for industrial action on the ‘zero offer’ for the pay year 2021. I am sure you will also receive numerous communications from the employer that seek to undermine UNISON’s campaign for fair pay for university staff.

UNISON senior representatives are adamant that the 0% for 2020/21 deserves to be challenged, and based on the results of consultations with members, our branch has opted to join this strike ballot.

University finances have withstood the various crises brought on by the pandemic, and other parts of Scottish public services still awarded pay rises of 3% or more in 2020/21.

Your colleagues in further education, in a sector that reports to the same Scottish Funding Council and same Scottish Government minister, received 2% or £750, whichever was greater. They also won further improvements in their secondary terms and conditions. This shows it is possible to protect jobs and deliver pay settlements much better than 0%.

In that context, the intransigence of the universities at UK negotiations cannot be justified. A slightly improved offer for the following pay year (again, below other pay offers in Scottish public services) does not make the 0% right.

When your ballot arrives at home, please vote YES as soon as you can, and let the branch know that you have voted so we don’t need to contact you to follow up.

If you’re not minded to vote for action, please still vote, as low turnouts make us look weak, and encourage employers to make further insulting offers to hard-working staff.

Please also encourage your colleagues to use their vote, and to join the union if they haven’t already.

HE Pay Ballot 2020/21   #WorthMoreThanNothing

Categories: Ballot | Campaigns | Members | Pay