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The Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA), the sector body that negotiates pay for higher education staff nationally, has provided a final update on pay for the 2021-22 academic year.

The pay uplift for the 2021-22 academic year guarantees increases of at least 1.5%, with higher percentage uplifts made to the pay points below Spine Point 22, up to a maximum of 3.6%.

The uplift is in addition to any incremental salary increases that staff receive annually through moving up spinal points on the salary scale.

The pay uplift will take place despite negotiations with the higher-education trade unions (EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite) ending without an agreed settlement.

As a result, UCEA has advised employers participating in the 2021-22 New JNCHES (Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff) pay round that it regards the pay negotiations as concluded and that they should implement the pay uplifts offered with effect from 1 August 2021, as soon as payroll systems allow.

Director of Human Resources at the University of Sussex, Siobhan O’Reilly, said: “It is important to remember that the annual staff pay decisions are taken on a national level.  It is a shame that an agreement could not be reached during the negotiations, however I am pleased that we are able to move forwards with implementing these increases.”

UCEA represented Sussex in the national negotiations in relation to the base pay uplift for 2021-22 against a backdrop of continuing financial challenges across the sector.

For more information, please visit the UCEA website.