Why can’t you just pay more to resolve the dispute?

Where an HEI is part of national pay bargaining, like Newcastle is, it is not within an individual university’s gift to pay more. Our negotiation on pay is done via University & Colleges Employers' Association (UCEA). It is not possible for us to make a separate offer on pay – we have a standardised pay spine. This is something that UCU are also committed to.

It would be preferable to be in the position where we could afford to pay more than 5-8% as wages in real terms in HE, as across the wider public sector, have been gradually eroded since 2008 by repeated below inflation pay rises. Unfortunately, neither the sector’s nor our own finances can currently support an improved overall pay offer.

Last reviewed: 07.09.2023