Aberdeen Universities UNISON

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 - 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: Information | Branch

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 | Pay | Members | Campaigns

UNISON Annual General Meeting 2021

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.

Tuesday 16^th March 2020
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