THE TEAM

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

For some years UCEA has been committed to pay modernisation for all of its members, which is most of the British HEIs. As a result of this UCEA, in partnership with the Trade Unions have developed the Pay Modernisation Framework Agreement.

A key part of the agreement is the Single Pay Spine - the introduction of a 51-Point Pay Spine. Members of staff will be transferred from their current salary scales to the new single pay spine scale. Allocation of staff to grades will be based on the outcomes of institution-wide job evaluation/role analysis arrangements. Detailed grading arrangements – including their links with job evaluation outcomes will be negotiated in partnership between HE institutions and their recognised Trade Unions.

The Framework Agreement makes further important commitments as follows:

• Equitable and transparent progression of staff to a higher grade taking account of equal pay considerations
• Progression within each pay range to depend in part on an individual’s length of service in the grade and in part on an assessment of their contribution
• Determination of detailed arrangements for progression
• Harmonisation of the length of the standard working week for all staff with a defined working week, in particular resulting in a reduction in the nationally agreed hours for manual staff
• Undertaking periodic equal pay audits, in line with the guidance issued by JNCHES in March 2002.