Unions and employers have agreed to?¡°urgent negotiations¡± in?a bid to?settle the UK higher education pay dispute.

In a statement issued after three days of?strike action across 150 campuses, the University and College Union said the talks ¨C due to?take place between now and the end of?January ¨C would seek to?resolve ¡°both the 2022-23 pay round, on?which the current dispute is?based, and the 2023-24 pay round¡±.

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association said there was a?¡°real possibility that we can set aside differences¡±. The organisation has agreed to bring forward negotiations on the 2023-24 pay round.

¡°The overriding priority is to provide a space which will allow negotiations to take place in order to facilitate an early settlement of the 2023-24 pay round, including the possibility of a consolidated interim payment to provide support to staff with cost-of-living pressures,¡± a Ucea spokesman said.

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About 70,000 UCU members were called out on strike over Ucea¡¯s imposition of a 3?per cent rise for 2022-23, rising to 9?per cent for the lowest paid. They were joined on the picket lines by members of the Unison union.

Unions have called for a rise that keeps pace with inflation, which is currently running at?about 11?per cent.

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The UCU and Unison will be joined by three other unions ¨C Unite, GMB and the Educational Institute of Scotland ¨C in the negotiations, a UCU spokesman said following a meeting with Ucea.

¡°There were constructive discussions about developing a way forward to settle the unions¡¯ dispute over low pay and poor working conditions in the sector,¡± the spokesman said.

¡°Both sides agreed to enter into urgent negotiations between now and 31?January 2023 with a view to resolving both the 2022-23 pay round, on?which the current dispute is based, and the 2023-24 pay round.

¡°The focus of all UCU members and branches should be on continuing to build support for UCU¡¯s campaign in order to apply pressure during negotiations, and maximise support for strike action should the union need to call?it.

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¡°UCU will update members on the progress of the negotiations as regularly as possible.¡±

Raj Jethwa, Ucea¡¯s chief executive, said universities ¡°fully recognise the inflationary pressures currently facing staff¡±.

¡°Ucea has been clear that, with many HE institutions having very tight budgets, we are unable to reopen the 2022-23 pay round. However, there is a real possibility that we can set aside differences to bring forward the 2023-24 pay negotiations in a bid to address the cost-of-living pressures facing staff,¡± he said.

¡°This is an unprecedented approach by employers and follows in-depth discussions with Ucea¡¯s members across September and October in response to the inflationary pressures on staff and HEIs alike.¡±

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The UCU remains in a separate dispute with employers over cuts to pensions provided by the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com