Starting on Monday the 20th of October, UNISON launched a national pay ballot for strike action alongside UCU, Unite, and Scotland’s EIS.
This pay ballot is the result of years of below-inflation pay raises, culminating in this year’s paltry offer of 1.4% by UCEA, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.
In reality, 1.4% is a significant pay cut, so we’re all currently working for less money than a year ago.
This year alone, we would need a much higher pay offer of roughly 4.4% just to keep up with inflation. However, this problem hasn’t just begun this year. Going back to 2015, pay offers have consistently come out below inflation. The cumulative effect of this is that workers at our university on pay grades 3 – 6 are earning roughly £2,000 – £4,500 less per year than if pay had been adjusted in line with inflation.
We are now actively in dispute over this year’s 1.4% pay offer, and balloting our members in the University of Brighton to take part in strike action.
The Pay Ballot
Due to laws regulating trade unions and our ability to call for strike action, ballots must be sent out to members’ registered address via post. We must ensure that our postal ballot within the University of Brighton achieves:
- At least 50% turnout of our membership; and
- At least 50% of those votes saying ‘YES’.
The deadline for us to achieve these is Friday 28th November.
Taking delivery times into account, ballot papers should be sent in by Monday 24th November at the very latest.
As of the 27th of October, a week after the launch of our ballot, many of our members have confirmed that their ballots have arrived in the post. It will look like this:
Please ensure that you keep an eye out for this envelope. If it hasn’t arrived or you need a replacement, you can request a new ballot paper by visiting MyUNISON or by calling the helpline on 0800 0 857 857 between 28 October – 12 noon on 20 November.
To vote yes for strike action, you will need to:
- Open the green envelope;
- Vote YES to strike action with an X on the ballot paper;
- Seal the ballot paper in the enclosed prepaid envelope;
- Return your ballot in the post!
We also ask that you let us know once your ballot is posted, by getting in touch with Ivan Bonsell (Branch Secretary) at I.A.D.Bonsell@brighton.ac.uk. This will allow us to keep track of how our ballot is going, and chase those who haven’t yet cast their vote. You don’t need to tell us how you voted, we just ask that you confirm once you have.
Why Strike?
Based on recent information sent out by the University of Brighton’s Executive Board, it is clear that the institution (and the wider higher education sector) is in crisis. Some may be worried that the University of Brighton won’t be able to afford a pay offer above 1.4%.
We recognise that our institution is in a dire financial situation. However, this does not mean that it is acceptable for university workers, especially those on lower pay grades, to face reduced pay against inflation year-on-year. Especially living in the South-East, many of our low-paid workers struggle to make ends meet. Rising costs and reduced pay mean that many of our workers will face increased stress, financial hardship, and be unable to live the dignified life that they deserve.
If the goal of our institution is to become financially sustainable, part of this equation must be a workforce who are adequately compensated for their efforts. An institution which survives only by reducing the effective pay of its workers each year is not sustainable.
However, this problem is part of a wider rot – the unwillingness of our government to properly fund higher education. If universities across the UK are unable to provide an adequate pay offer to their workers, this indicates a structural problem with higher education and the funding which supports it.
If we are successful in our ballot alongside our comrades in UCU, Unite, and EIS, then we as workers in higher education across the UK will be taking a stand to show that we will not continue to swallow cuts to our pay due to a lack of government funding. We cannot directly engage in strike action against the government for higher education funding, but you can be damned sure that a nationwide strike of university workers over pay will get conversations rolling.
If you’re not yet convinced and aren’t feeling sure whether strike action is the right choice, I would invite you to ask yourself the following question:
If we don’t strike over the 1.4% pay offer this year, what do you think the pay offer next year will look like?
You Can Help
If you agree that the 1.4% pay offer is unjust, and feel strongly in favour of strike action to indicate our dissent, you can help!
To help us ensure that we meet the minimum requirements for us to be successful in calling for strike action, voting is just the first step.
Once you’ve voted, please spread the word by speaking to your colleagues and asking them to make sure that they return their ballot in the post.
If you have a colleague who isn’t yet a member of UNISON but who is interested in voting for strike action, you can let them know that they will be able to take part in the ballot if they join before the 8th of November.
Every vote counts, and every person you speak to helps us to get the word out and ensure that we meet the legally required minimum turnout to call for strike action.
FAQs
I’m not a member of UNISON – can I vote?
- You MUST be a member of UNISON to vote in this pay ballot. However, if you join UNISON before the 8th of November, you will automatically receive a pay ballot in the post to your registered address.
Will anyone know how I’ve voted in the ballot?
- Your ballot is anonymous, and there will be no way for anyone to determine how you have voted unless you tell them.
What if I want to vote against strike action?
- Even if you would like to vote against strike action, please be sure to do so by filling out and returning your ballot paper.
Can I vote online?
- No. You must vote via a postal ballot.