Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessPay settlements

Colleges slow to act as pay deal deadline looms

by Mike Berry 7 Feb 2006
by Mike Berry 7 Feb 2006

Just 15% of the UK’s higher education institutions (including universities) have implemented a new pay modernisation agreement, despite the deadline being less than six months away.

Only 26 of the 165 institutions in England, Scotland and Wales have put the new deal in place, designed to reform staff pay and conditions, ahead of the 1 August deadline.

Higher education unions are becoming increasingly concerned at the slow rate of progress and are warning of industrial action if the deadline is missed.

Malcolm Keight, deputy general secretary of the higher education union AUT, said that some institutions were “nowhere near” to implementing the new pay agreement.

He blamed a lack of HR capacity and management commitment for this, and accused organisations of spending recent funding on “pet projects” and consultants rather than adequately skilled HR staff.

“Higher education institutes have had almost two years to sort this out,” Keight told Personnel Today. “The vast majority are not geared up for local pay and grading and I can envisage that we are looking at the prospect of localised disputes.”

But the Universities & Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) said it was confident that the majority of organisations would meet the deadline.
Geoff White, UCEA senior adviser, said progress on the agreement was good when compared to other public sector pay schemes such as the local government ‘single status’ agreement.

“The delays are not just on the employers’ side,” he said. “The approach taken by different unions [during the agreement] has not helped the situation.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Unions are currently clashing with the UCEA over a separate pay dispute, with the result of a strike ballot due later this month.
It is understood that both sides are keen that any industrial action does not further affect the progress of the pay agreement.

Higher education framework agreement



  • The introduction of a 51-point pay scale.

  • Each organisation has flexibility to develop its own grading structure.

  • The introduction of institution-wide job evaluations.

  • Progression through grades on an equitable and transparent basis.

  • The harmonisation of working hours for all staff groups.

  • Better links between career development and pay progression and a commitment to equal opportunties.

Mike Berry

previous post
On the move
next post
Skills gap stifles UK’s global ambitions

You may also like

Gregg Wallace sacked amid fresh misconduct allegations

9 Jul 2025

Doctors vote for return to strike action

8 Jul 2025

‘Frustrating’ that NHS Plan has overlooked OH, warns...

8 Jul 2025

Employment Rights Bill set to ban employer NDAs

8 Jul 2025

Young people unprepared for world of work, says...

8 Jul 2025

Empower and engage for the future: A revolution...

7 Jul 2025

Bereavement leave to extend to miscarriages before 24...

7 Jul 2025

One in seven ‘revenge quit’ in latest employee...

7 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+