Protecting Jobs Doesn’t Mean You Should Accept a Poor Pay Offer

We know that the EIS ULA consultative pay ballot is running during a time when a number of universities across Scotland are looking to make staff redundant. While some members may argue that foregoing an improved cost of living pay uplift could protect jobs, we believe that strategy would be detrimental to our members short and long-term job security.  Accepting a sub-standard pay increase will not safeguard us against redundancies; instead, it risks legitimising an employer's view of staff as a dispensable resource, making it easier for them to cut jobs now, and in the future.

The reality is that employers who are prepared to implement redundancies are unlikely to rethink this action for a workforce that has already accepted a diminished pay rise. When facing financial challenges, an employer's primary goal is often to cut costs, especially staff costs. If we accept a pay deal that doesn't adequately address the rising cost of living, we are effectively signalling that we are willing to absorb financial hardship and accept that staff share responsibility for the fiscal problems that some institutions have. This sends a dangerous message that our contributions are undervalued and that our livelihoods are negotiable, making us more, not less, vulnerable to further cuts, including job losses. 

Let’s be clear. Staff are not responsible for the poor financial situation some universities find themselves in. The responsibility for this lies with the senior management of those institutions, a distinct lack of accountability, poor governance and inadequate funding from the Scottish Government.

It is therefore imperative that we stand united and advocate strongly for both an improved cost of living pay uplift and the protection of jobs. These are not mutually exclusive demands; they are two sides of the same coin: valuing our contributions and securing our future. By collectively demanding fair remuneration that keeps pace with inflation, we demonstrate our worth and our commitment to maintaining a decent standard of living. Simultaneously, by robustly opposing redundancies, we assert our right to job security and challenge any attempts to destabilise the Higher Education workforce

Now is the time for collective action. Our strength lies in our unity. By accepting an inadequate pay increase, we weaken our position in the fight against redundancies. 

We urge every member to engage in the current ULA consultative ballot, voting NO to accepting the derisory 1.4% pay offer and voting YES to taking strike action.