Staff news

University of Edinburgh and University and College Union Agreement

An agreement has been reached with the University and College Union to further enhance the employment conditions of teaching and research staff employed on Guaranteed Minimum Hours and Fixed-Term contracts.

Full details and the agreement are available on the HR website, and the joint statement can be read below:

University and Edinburgh UCU Joint Statement

The University of Edinburgh and the University and College Union (UCU) agree a number of underpinning principles and actions to improve the employment conditions of those employed on Guaranteed Minimum Hours and Fixed-Term contracts.

Over the last eight months, the University and UCU have had constructive negotiations in response to the formal claim submitted by UCU in February 2018 which sought to ensure staff on guaranteed minimum hours contracts are fairly paid for the work they are asked to do and to reduce the insecure nature of these contracts. 

A set of underpinning principles has been agreed and the University has committed to taking forward a number of agreed actions, progress against which will be jointly monitored through the UCU Joint Consultation and Negotiating Committee.

The University and UCU agree that:

  • Employing staff on Guaranteed Minimum Hours (GH) contract will be the exception rather than the norm, and all Colleges and Schools  will work to this principle;
  • To provide GH staff with greater security,  GH staff will be offered a fractional contract (i.e. a part-time or semester-time contract) if they have worked the equivalent of one day a week on average, in the same role,  over the preceding two academic years;
  • By the start of academic year 2020/21 teaching fellowship contracts will be offered for no less than one year’s duration, and that these should be offered on a part or full time salaried basis;
  • Colleges and Schools will ensure that GH staff will be paid for all work that they are asked to do, and for taking part in agreed activities which enhance their ability to perform their role, including an agreed number of hours for professional development; 
  • GH staff should normally receive written confirmation of their total hours in advance of starting work, and Schools must make every effort to ensure that GH staff know their teaching schedule before the start of each teaching block.

All involved in the negotiations (which included UCU Scotland Officials) were pleased to see that the key components of the policy for the recruitment, and paid time for development and support of tutors and demonstrators have been embedded in all School level handbooks and that this policy acknowledge that GH staff must be paid in line with the grade for the role performed. 

To enhance these further, the University will inform all Schools that their handbooks must include clear information regarding the induction and training activities etc which GH staff are required to attend, must receive an annual review with their line manager (or identified alternative) and that where required to attend such activities that they will be paid at the rate for the role.

The University is clear that GH staff are treated no differently to other staff with regards to incremental pay progression, and GH staff are fully covered by the same terms and conditions as core staff.

The University and UCU were unable to agree the claim for minimum tariffs (for example for preparation and marking) across all Schools and disciplines.  The University recognises that this is an important issue for UCU members and has been a stumbling block in negotiations.  However, in recognition of the issues driving this component of UCU’s claim, the University has enhanced its guidance on Academic Work Allocation Models (WAM) to require Schools to routinely review the tariffs allocated to each work component and to do so in consultation with the staff included in the model.

The University is fully committed to fair employment practices and to creating as stable and secure an environment as it can for all of its staff. Whilst it cannot singlehandedly change the landscape surrounding the funding of research, either within the UK or internationally the University has committed to publishing clear guidance for the fair management of staff employed on fixed-term contracts and to do so by January 2020.  In doing so, it will take account of the good practice advocated in the UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers which is currently being updated.

The University and UCU have now agreed to conclude these negotiations and to focus on implementation of the above agreed actions, embedded in the collective agreement which can be found here. 

Signed for the University of Edinburgh, 26 March 2019

Professor Jane Norman, Vice-Principal, People and Culture

James Saville, Director of HR

Signed for the University and College Union, 26 March 2019

Grant Buttars, Honorary Branch President, UCU Edinburgh

Mary Senior, UCU Scotland official

Related links

HR website