Industrial action

What’s happening?

National negotiations are currently underway between The joint trade unions and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) on the 2025/26 pay round.

UCEA has made an offer of an increase of 1.4% on all pay points, and to delete pay points 5 and 6 of the pay scale later in the year.

The joint trade unions are extremely disappointed with the offer and each of the five unions are recommending that their members reject the offer. The joint trade unions have all agreed to inform UCEA that the offer is unacceptable and start the dispute process.

UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive met on 19 May at which it was agreed that members covered by the JNCHES negotiations would be consulted with a recommendation that the offer is rejected.

The University of Bristol UNISON Committee voted on the 10th June to recommend to its members that the offer is rejected.

The Consultation

This consultation is a precursor to a possible future ballot on industrial action, but does not itself constitute a mandate for industrial action.

The pay consultation will open on Wednesday 18th June. As a branch member, you will receive a personalised email from UNISON with a voting link. This will take you directly to a webpage where you can vote to ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ the pay offer. We recommend you vote to reject.

Voting in the consultation will close at noon on Friday 11th July. We will be reminding branch members during the voting period to make use of their vote.

All new members who join by 29 June 2025 will get a vote in the consultation.

The offer