As part of the negotiations on the implementation of the Framework Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), UCU reached the following agreement with the University regarding assimilation to the new grading structure. 

The purpose of the MoU (which was reached following industrial action) was to ensure that academic and academic related staff would not suffer pay detriment as a result of the implementation of the new pay structure laid out in the Framework Agreement. 

The first means of ensuring no detriment was to ensure that the tops of grades (non-discretionary maxima) were set no lower than existing grades. The grading structure which has been accepted by UCU members at Sussex meets this principle, and in some cases offers annual incremental progression to the top of grade beyond existing expectations for current staff. This was coupled with considerable improvements in the starting points for many grades. 

Even with this principle in place, the new structure did not necessarily mean no detriment in pay terms. 

NB - Staff not on the academic and related grades already had 3% increments so the issue of any loss because of placement within grades is not an issue or at least not the same as for our membership. 

The single national 51 point pay spine which is now in place is made up of 3% increments and will be subject to nationally agreed uplifts. 

Prior to reaching agreement on the MoU, the grades used for academic and related staff were based on 5% increments. It was clear that moving from a set of grades with 5% increments to pay spine could have a negative effect on cumulative earnings over a period of time whilst staff progress through their grade in comparison to previous grading arrangements. 

This does not happen across the board. Academic and related staff previously on 5 pay points are affected although these span a number of different grades and pay points.  These are: 

Lecturer B - points 3 & 4

ALC 3 – points 1 & 2

Other Related 3 – points 1 & 2

Research II – points 4 & 5

Research IA – point 6

ALC 2 – point 3

Other Related 2 – point 3

ALC 4 – points 1 & 2 

Assimilation to the new pay spine is determined for all staff in the first instance by assimilation to the same or next highest point on the pay spine. However, where academic and related members in your position have been affected, the University needed to take steps to ensure that career earnings are not affected by the implementation of the new grading structure. 

Different Universities have dealt with this issue in different ways. Some have taken the more progressive approach of taking account of the number of increments to the top of current grade (ie. three points from top of current grade would mean assimilating to three points from the top of new grade). Some have reached agreement with UCU that no-one loses out on career earnings as a result of the moving to the new grading structure by making a one-off payment. 

At Sussex, the result of our negotiations was that there would be a one-off payment made in the year that the individuals affected reached the non-discretionary maximum of their new grade which would make up for any shortfall in career earnings as a member of staff had progressed through their grade.

We argued hard that the straight assimilation option was the best way forward but this was rejected by the University. We then argued that any loss should be made good when it occurred (ie. that if someone suffered a loss in a particular year, that it should be made up at that point). This approach was also rejected by the University. Whilst the eventual solution is not ideal, and represents a lowest common denominator approach, the sum total is no detriment in career earnings and as such.

If you have any questions about this agreement or its effect on your situation, please get in touch with us through Kate Edwards (see contact details).