The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has now advised employers participating in the 2024-25 New JNCHES pay round that the pay negotiations have concluded and that they should implement the pay uplifts offered with effect from 1 August 2024.
UCEA’s full and final offer for 2024-25 is a staged approach which results in uplifts ranging from 2.5% to 5.7% to the national pay spine. On 1 August 2024, an uplift of £900 a year will be applied retrospectively to all national pay points. From 1 March 2025, the balance will be added to spine points to complete the uplift for 2024-25. The effect of this offer is that the award is distributed towards the lower national spine points. That is, pay point 5 receives a total 5.7% uplift and the uplift gradually tapers to 2.5% at pay point 38 and above.
The New JNCHES offer for 2024-25 negotiating round includes a commitment to negotiate with the purpose of seeking agreement in respect of contract types, workload and equality pay gaps. The purpose of this work is to improve employment practices in the sector. This also includes a commitment to a joint review of the UK HE pay spine with time-limited negotiations to seek agreement of a new pay spine, the affordability of which will include jointly agreed review of sector finances. There is no expectation that any agreed national reform of the UK HE pay spine will be implemented before the 2025-2026 pay year.
As a Real Living Wage (RLW) employer, all the University’s lower salary pay points are already supplemented to provide a minimum full-time annual salary of at least £23,088 per annum, which was previously implemented recognising the cost-of-living challenges and to provide additional support for our staff outside of nationally agreed terms. The RLW hourly rate is subject to separate review in April 2025.
Implementation of UCEA uplifts to the pay spine will be reflected in the October payroll, with backdating to 1 August 2024. Our local pay spine has been updated and can be cross-referenced with your current grade.