REPORT BACK on PAY STRUCTURE TALKS at GOLDSMITHS

Pamela Beevers (GAUT President) and Ed Randall (GAUT Pay Forum Representative) met with Ian Turner (Director of Planning), Rob Letham (Head of Personnel) and Eleanor
Sanders (H.E.R.A co-ordinator) on Wednesday 23rd February to present the AUT case for a written agreement on a shared approach to a new pay and grading structure at
Goldsmiths in advance of the start of H.E.R.A. role evaluations.

The agreed statement (see below) reflects the fact that GAUT is keen to ensure that any new grading structure introduced at Goldsmiths leads to fairer pay as well as underpinning improvements in pay. At the conclusion of the meeting Ian Turner welcomed the statement and said he would be putting it to Goldsmiths Senior Management Team as an agreed basis for taking H.E.R.A. and the Framework Agreement forward at Goldsmiths.

Joint GAUT Statement
Goldsmiths College aims to a least match and envisages that - on completion of the H.E.R.A evaluation of roles at Goldsmiths - it may well be able to improve on the pay and grading scheme implied in Appendix C of the JNCHES FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT FOR THE MODERNISATION OF PAY STRUCTURES. It is expected that the costs of implementing a grading structure consonant with the AUT's preferred model would fall within the envelope of implementation costs anticipated by the College in its forward planning for the local introduction of the pay framework agreement. While guarantees cannot be given to individuals about their pay levels, following the introduction of a new grading structure at the College, all parties should be confident that implementation will lead to fairer and in some cases improved pay for staff. Those adversely affected by the introduction of a new grading structure, following the completion of the HERA role evaluation, will have their pay protected as agreed by University employers and trades unions."

Following the settlement of the long running pay dispute between University employers and the AUT last year it was agreed that a new national pay framework using a common pay spine would be introduced across the HE sector. The precise interpretation and implementation of the FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT was left up to individual HE institutions. One key issue at Goldsmiths - and at many other HE institutions - has been the affordability of any new pay and grading scheme. Pamela and Ed have been urging Goldsmiths senior managers to undertake work on modelling the impact of different grading arrangements on the pay bill at Goldsmiths. At a Pay Forum earlier in the year it was agreed to give priority to pay modelling work and the Pay Structure meeting had the advantage of being able to draw on estimates of the likely cost of implementing a variety of new grading schemes, including AUT's preferred scheme. The modelling exercise provided 'ball park figures' showing that a number of possible grading schemes, including AUT's preferred model, fall within the envelope of increased pay costs that can reasonably be anticipated at Goldsmiths following the implementation of the national Framework Agreement on pay.