The national pay deal 2008/9 Who agrees the pay deal?
Every year the Association of Colleges (AoC) negotiates with the trade
unions (ATL, ACM, GMB, UCU, UNISON & UNITE) to agree a
recommended pay increase for staff working in FE colleges in England.
The AoC is the national employers' body that represents FE colleges. Once this recommendation is agreed by the unions it sets what should be the minimum pay increase awarded in every college. What is the current pay deal?
The AoC pay recommendation for 2008/09 was for a 3.2% increase on
all salaries and allowances from 1 October 2008 or £550 - whichever is
the greater. So if a 3.2% increase gave you less than a £550 increase you
should have received a flat £550 increase instead.
How does the AoC pay recommendation affect me and my college?
The pay agreement is an agreement between the FE trade unions
and the Association of Colleges, and therefore its members. Most
colleges are members of the AoC.
The unions regard the pay agreement with the AoC as a national standard in England and therefore seek to have it implemented in all colleges including those that are not members of the AoC. Our college usually pays an increase in August so what is the pay deal worth to me?
Over the year from August 2008 to August 2009 the AoC
recommendation is equivalent to getting an increase of between 2.7%
and 4.32%. The actual increase you should have received depends on
the current level of your pay and the impact of the £550 payment (see
table below). The advantage of paying it as a minimum 3.2% rise from October 2008 rather than a minimum 2.7% from August 2008 is that your pensionable pay would be higher at the end of the year. The pay scales would also increase by a minimum of 3.2% for everybody. The FE minimum wage recommended by the AoC has also increased to £6.91 per hour. Who is eligible for the £550?
If you earn less than £17,000 a year you should have received the £550,
meaning you should have received a pay increase worth more than 3.2%.
For example:
My college has paid 3% from August 2008 instead of the AoC
recommendation of 3.2% or £550 from October 2008. They claim the
3% for 12 months from August is worth more than 3.2% or £550 for
10 months from October. Is this right?
No. For anyone earning less than £17,000 a year the £550 paid over 10
months from October 2008 is worth more than a straight 3% paid for 12
months from August 2008. (see table above).
Also, 3.2% from October 2008 is worth more on the pay scales than simply 3% from August. So if you received 3% from August 2008 your salary will be lower at the end of the year than it would have been if you had received 3.2% from October 2008. My college does not use the AoC pay scale so does the AoC pay
recommendation affect me?
Yes. What happens if our college says it can't afford to pay the AoC deal?
The AoC surveys FE colleges on what they can afford to pay before it
agrees the national pay rise. Also the unions will negotiate a timetable
for implementation locally if a college can prove they have serious
financial problems. Why does it matter if our college won't honour the national pay deal?
It matters because you may be being paid less for doing the same job as
those employees working in the majority of FE colleges that pay the
national deal. For every year that the college refuses to match the national
deal your pay will fall further behind. This will affect your pension. What can I do to help get the college to agree to implement the
AoC pay deal?
Keep an eye out for campaign events being organised by the local unions.
Attend joint union meetings and show your support for the campaign.
If you're not a member of a union then join one today. It's a fact that
colleges with large numbers of union members are more likely to
implement national pay deals and have better terms and conditions. Does the AoC pay recommendation cover sixth form colleges?
No. Sixth form colleges are covered by separate national pay negotiations
to FE colleges. |
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