Background

Goldsmiths is required to replace the existing salary and grading structure with a single pay spine.  H.E.R.A. is a tool used to analyse roles found in higher education and will be used to analyse roles before transferring to the new pay spine.  GAUT support the aims of H.E.R.A to achieve equal pay for equal value.  Following the national ballot and acceptance of the employer's modified pay offer GAUT has been involved through the Pay Forum in discussions about the implementation of the new HE pay scheme.

GAUT support the aims of H.E.R.A. to achieve equal pay for equal value and believe that it is important to have greater consistency and transparency in relation to pay.  However the Memorandum of Understanding is crucial. It marked the end of a national dispute in 2004 and resulted in industrial action being called off.

"The AUT and UCEA agree that the proposed Framework for the modernisation of pay structures should provide a platform for the long term improvement of salaries across higher education to address the problem of historical decline in the relative value or earnings."   

The Importance of the Memorandum of Understanding

While the particular grading structure to be adopted at Goldsmiths may not follow, in every particular, the AUT commended model it must, if it is to satisfy the Memorandum of Understanding and whaterve grading system is adopted ensure that pay:

• sets contribution thresholds no lower than the present non-discretionary maxima for the most heavily populated posts within the current grading system;
• gives all staff a normal expectation of annual progression to the contribution thresholds currently applying to staff in the nearest equivalent/existing grades;
• ensures incremental progression to contribution thresholds takes no longer (under a new grading system) than is the case under the current arrangements.

• GAUT Comment - brief comment
  
• GAUT Analysis - an in depth report on the issues surrounding the Framework Agreement and H.E.R.A. at Goldsmiths
  
• Pay Forum News - latest news

Transfer of Grades

Staff must have a clear understanding of how grades relate to an agreed national pay spine though this does not determine precisely how a given individual post/role will be placed in it.  Transferring grades to the new pay spine can't be achieved without reference to the Memorandum of Understanding. GAUT and its members need to be confident that any grading structure will be consistent with the MoU.  AUT and UCEA agreed the to the Framework for pay modernisatinon the understanding that it would provide a platform for long term improvement of salaries across the HE sector in order to address the historic decline of pay.

The agreement made in March 2004 was possible because both the AUT and UCEA accepted that:

• The generality of pay in the University sector needed to be improved, and
• Pay differentials needed to be clearly justified by and connected to the contributions made by and expected from particular groups of post holders.

Role analysis and grade determination are separate processes. The College through negotiation with the Unions can show that reasonable expectations will be met.  Anything that depends on simply putting HERA figures into a 'calculator' and getting out a grading structure and scheme for the use of spine points would not be acceptable.

The AUT believes that the minima for academic and academic related staff should be set no lower than spine point 27 . It commends a five grade structure for academic and academic-related staff. The College may want a system with more or fewer grades but GAUT believes that it is everyone's best interests to establish that the majority of staff, who are currently classified as Ac1/2 and grades 6/7, will be moved to a grade with a minima set at or above spine point 27 and a contribution threshold set at 'at least spine point 32' on the 51 point national pay spine.

Other documents relating to pay

Any questions? email us at gucu-admin@gold.ac.uk.