QuoteUniversity pay dispute resolved

University lecturers leaders have accepted a new pay offer and are suspending a boycott of exam marking.

The University and College Union agreed to an increase of 13.1% over three years following a meeting with employers in London on Tuesday.

The union had been seeking a pay rise of more than 20% over three years.

Last week it turned down a 13.1% offer. But the deal involves an independent review of the money available for pay, and another of the negotiating process.

There is a bigger percentage rise - 15.5% - for the lowest-paid cleaners, porters, security staff and other non-academic university workers.

Ballot

The union said it had insisted that the deal had to include the repayment of wages deducted from staff taking part in the marking boycott.

The industrial action is being suspended from midnight. Union members will be balloted on the deal.

The boycott of exam and coursework-marking began in March.

It had led universities across the UK to warn that graduations may not go ahead as planned, threatening to undermine students chances of finding jobs.

The agreement involves:

August 2006 - greater of 3% or Ã,£515
February 2007 - 1%
August 2007 - 3%
May 2008 - greater of 3% or Ã,£420
October 2008 - greater of 2.5% or RPI (at September 2008 ).

UCU joint general secretaries, Sally Hunt and Paul Mackney, said: "No settlement ever provides everything that you want for members, but we believe that this is the best that can be achieved within the current national negotiating environment."

Arguing for more

Their statement continued: "Members will see significant increases in their salaries over the next two years, but we are acutely aware that this will still not make up the ground lost over the past decades."

Chris Kaufman, national officer of one of the support staff unions, the Transport and General Workers Union, hailed the deal as "a first move to deal with low pay in universities".

The chair of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), Dr Geoffrey Copland, said they were delighted.

"We are particularly pleased that the immediate suspension of industrial action will stop disruption for students and allow completion of examination processes."

UCEAs chief executive, Jocelyn Prudence, said: "We hope this will be viewed as a good offer on top of the increases of 3% - 5% already in the pipeline from this August as well as other increases in pay and pension costs."

Disruption

The National Union of Students president Kat Fletcher said: "This has been an extremely difficult time for students, who have experienced serious disruption as a result of the dispute.

"However, todays decision to put the revised offer to the membership finally breaks the deadlock that has been so frustrating for students."

The chief-executive of the vice-chancellors organisation Universities UK, Diana Warwick, said anxious students and their parents would be relieved to know the end was in sight.

"The priority is now to ensure that any affected examination and graduation timetables are quickly amended."

Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said: "The immediate suspension of industrial action is great news and will allow students assessments to proceed as normal."

But many of those taking action had been refusing to set exams as well as to mark students work.

The Tory higher education spokesman, Boris Johnson, said: "It is vital that the lecturers now commit to going ahead with all the exams that have been postponed or cancelled to ensure the future career prospects of students, particularly those graduating this year, are not placed in jeopardy."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5052730.stm

I guess places like Birmingham can finaly start taking their exams then. :-)

Despite it hasnt affected me to much, at least what I am aware of, Im just pleased the whole thing has been settled.  It went on for far to long.

has affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

Finally Didnt disrupt my exams, but with the refusual to mark the papers plus other stuff like disserations, it could have dragged classification/graduation out until Jan07!!

Now just have to wait and worry for the post...great  :?

Hasnt affected me as far as Im aware, but glad its sorted for the sakes of those it has affected.

Jaimz

Quote from: redhas affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

If certain universities have chosen to mess about with pass marks and lower their standards rather than getting the papers marked and just delaying graduation its going to make a farce of this years degree results.

Quote from: redhas affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

Isnt the pass level set to about 10% anyway, you only need to put your name on half the exams to get a 2.2

Quote from: Sam

Quote from: redhas affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

Isnt the pass level set to about 10% anyway, you only need to put your name on half the exams to get a 2.2

Hoho Sam youre such a riot. Course that my be true for the "Arts"

For mine its 35% pass mark, wish they could have lowered mine 10%

Quote from: Thrawn

Quote from: Sam

Quote from: redhas affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

Isnt the pass level set to about 10% anyway, you only need to put your name on half the exams to get a 2.2

Hoho Sam youre such a riot. Course that my be true for the "Arts"

For mine its 35% pass mark, wish they could have lowered mine 10%

35% FFS why dont they just hand them out to anyone who wants one??  

Quote from: brummie

Quote from: Thrawn

Quote from: Sam

Quote from: redhas affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

Isnt the pass level set to about 10% anyway, you only need to put your name on half the exams to get a 2.2

Hoho Sam youre such a riot. Course that my be true for the "Arts"

For mine its 35% pass mark, wish they could have lowered mine 10%

35% FFS why dont they just hand them out to anyone who wants one??  

You got one?

35% gets you a pass  - ie an E grade, fairly worthless, you need at least 50% to get a worthwhile degree ie 2:2 plus.

Also bear in mind that these percentage final marks are not the same as the raw marks on the exam. If you think its that easy you can take a look at one of my exam papers and tell me if you think its easy then, Ill even be nice and give you the easiest paper

topic??

Quote from: brummietopic??

There ya go!

Oh right you meant the subject

Mathematics. Everybodys favourite subject!

Quote from: Thrawn

Quote from: Sam

Quote from: redhas affected me greatly.

however the university have accepted delays, and for the loss of time etc.. they are decreasing the pass marks by 10% XD

Isnt the pass level set to about 10% anyway, you only need to put your name on half the exams to get a 2.2

Hoho Sam youre such a riot. Course that my be true for the "Arts"

For mine its 35% pass mark, wish they could have lowered mine 10%

Should be 50% minimum TBH...

QuoteHoho Sam youre such a riot. Course that my be true for the "Arts"

Actually its not.    Us "arts" students worked from exactly the same grade boundaries and put in just as much work as other subjects; at least they did at my University.

lol - arts students

yeah the grade boundaries may be the same but that is about it

50% for discrete maths 101 vs 50% for ?sociology? 101

mmmm which is harder