Dear comrades,
We hope you’re managing to keep cool in this crazy heat (the TUC (Trades Union Congress) have again called for a workplace temperature cap, more on that later…) 🌞
May’s newsletter is chock-a-block with updates on pay negotiations, strike pay, what the updated EHRC guidance means for the University, and more fun stuff.
📝Branch meeting recap – 18/05/26
➡️ Meeting recording and transcript
➡️ Minutes
➡️ Agenda
💸2026/27 pay offer consultation
TLDR – key points
- Our recent strike action has concerned the 2025/26 pay offer. A pay consultation ballot to accept/reject the new 2026/27 pay offer is now open until 12 noon Friday 5th June.
- On Monday 18th May you should have received an email titled “Have your say on higher education pay 2026” from “Unison Education”, containing a link to vote in the ballot. There is also a link to vote below.
- UNISON nationally, and all the unions involved in the negotiations are recommending that you vote REJECT .
- The joint HE unions have instead asked for an increase on all pay points of at least RPI + 3% or £3,000, whichever is greater, to be paid in full in August 2026.
➡️ More info: Higher Education Pay Consultation 2026 – UNISON National
➡️ Read the Joint HE Unions full claim
➡️ Vote in the consultation ballot here!
🤔 What’s happening?
Whilst our strikes for the 2025/26 pay round have ended, national negotiations have been taking place between the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES)and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) on the 2026/27 pay round.
On May 13th, UCEA have made what they describe as a “full and final” offer of an increase of 2% on all pay points from 1st August 2026. UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE) met on May 15th and agreed that members would be consulted with a recommendation that the offer is rejected.
🤔 Why are we recommending you vote reject?
Unlike the unions’ demand of a flat rate increase of £3000 for those lower on the spine, 2% is a regressive offer that helps those on higher spine points than lower ones. Like all previous pay offer “increases”, this is again a real-terms pay cut, with RPI inflation currently at 3% and projected to rise even higher with the current state of the economy. It is disappointing that there are delays of the review of the spine points structure for yet another year.
This pay calculator shows how much you’ve lost without inflation-matching pay offers since 2009:
➡ How much pay are you losing out on?
(note that this calculator is from 2022 – it doesn’t even include the last four pay offers!)
By giving a strong reject vote, we are standing up for our rights for fair pay, increasing our options for resisting, and strengthening our hand for possible future strike ballots over our pay.
🤔 What is a consultative ballot?
This ballot is an initial assessment of membership response to the 2% pay offer.
If members vote to reject the offer, it is likely that the next step will be an official ballot, which paves the way for possible industrial action.
This is the same process we went through last year over the 25/26 pay offer of 1.4%, which led to our strike days in February, March, and April this year.
🤔 What happens if I didn’t receive my email consultation?
The consultation timeline is short – the deadline is 12 noon Fri 5th June – it’s vital you vote as soon as possible! It really does only take a few seconds.
If you don’t have an email or phone number on Unison’s membership system, you won’t have been sent a personal voting email. You can instead vote here:
➡️ VOTE HERE!
You will need to verify your membership by following a link to enter your National Insurance (NI) Number or UNISON membership number (found at the bottom of this email); your date of birth; and your surname to access your personalised vote.
If this verification is unsuccessful, you will be directed to call UNISON Direct on 08000 857857.
🤑 Submit your May payslip
If you were on strike in April, it’s time to submit your May payslip, demonstrating deductions from your pay. Ensure you’ve also completed the April strike dates form if you haven’t already:
If you still haven’t received your strike pay for February or March strike dates, ensure you have completed the necessary forms:
➡️ Strike pay
🫂 EHRC guidance update
From our LGBT+ officer Hafren Jones and Women’s officer Verity Fouracres
As your Equality Officers and your branch as a whole, we’re concerned about the precedent set by the new EHRC Code of Practice on the Equality Act (2010), and the uncertainty that will follow. We stand in solidarity with all of our trans members, and will continue to push for provisions that actually work for trans workers at the University. On a national level UNISON will be launching a “Change the Law” campaign from the LGBT+ caucus that we encourage members to get involved with.
We encourage any trans and nonbinary members to reach out to our Branch and let us know if you are facing barriers in your workplace. LGBT+ Officer Hafren is prioritising training for all workplace Stewards about how to be better trans allies when supporting casework involving any trans issues.
This useful primer from one of the Co-Chairs of the UOB LGBT+ Staff Network explains how this code of Practice works in detail. We encourage members to read it, especially those who are non-trans/cisgender, to familiarise yourself with ways you can support your trans comrades:
👕 School uniform grant
From our welfare officer Mia Gilson
Unison’s school uniform grant opens today at noon and runs for 24 hours.
This is a one-off, non-repayable grant of £75 per school-aged child.
➡️ More info and apply here: There for You school uniform grant
🌞 Workplace temperature cap
Trades Union Congress (TUC) has again called for a workplace temperature cap, especially as climate change sees temps increasing year on year.
While there is no law for a minimum or maximum working temperature, government guidance recommends that the minimum temperature should be 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work. There is no guidance for maximum temperature.
While campaigning takes place, our workplace still has a duty to provide an environment “where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard”.
Let our health and safety reps Lisa Murphy, Steve Bridges or Hafren Jones (SU) know if you have any concerns about your workplace.
➡️ Read the TUC demands from 2024 (it’s gotten even hotter since then!): Government “must change law on hot workplaces”, warns TUC | TUC
➡️ UNISON also echo this sentiment: Regulating workplace temperatures and adapting for climate change is long overdue – UNISON National
📅 Upcoming events, conferences and training
➡️ Our branch social! (More info below…)
➡️ Upcoming meetings and conferences for ‘Self Organised Groups’, e.g. disabled, LGBT+, black, women, retired members (many are intersectional too): Events Archive – UNISON National
➡️ Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival 17– 19 July. Message Mia Smith (comms officer) on teams if you’re keen to join the march on the Sunday – we’ll hopefully have an update on transport from Bristol soon: The Festival | Tolpuddle Martyrs
➡️ Disabled members’ conference 24 – 26 October (deadline to register 3 July): 2026 National Disabled Members’ Conference – UNISON National
Join our UoB Unison social!
📅 When? Tuesday, 2nd June, 5:15pm – 7:30pm
📌 Where? Watershed cafe bar, 1 Canons Road, BS1 5TX
A relaxed evening at the Watershed to get to know your fellow Unison members. Non-member colleagues are also welcome!
