UCU reaches important pay agreement with Waltham Forest College

The University and College Union (UCU) today (Monday) announced a pay agreement with Waltham Forest College which will see an average pay award of 6.1% for all staff and the extension of the lecturer pay scale by two spinal points.

The union said that the pay deal, voted for by its members at Waltham Forest College, shows there is no excuse for college employers nationally to continue ignoring the severity of the cost of living crisis facing staff by offering huge real terms pay cuts.

The pay deal will see a 3% consolidated increase on all pay spinal points and the introduction of two additional spinal points SP36 and SP37 – allowing automatic incremental progression over two years – with effect from 01 September 2022. Most lecturing staff are on SP35 and will now have an additional increment in September 2022 worth approx. 3.1% and a further increment in September 2023. 

On top of this, all staff will receive an unconditional non-consolidated payment this month (July) of £750 pro rata for those earning less than £25k and £500 pro rata for those earning more than£25k. Waltham Forest College also agreed joint actions to address workload concerns including automated processes and systems to reduce duplication of work and additional curriculum administration posts. 

Following a 5% increase for low paid staff in 2020/21 to meet Living London Wage standards, the College has now achieved formal accreditation as a Living London employer. 

The average pay award including the non-consolidated payment is 7% for all staff, increasing to 9% for lowest paid staff.

UCU last week released a report exposing how badly the cost of living crisis is hitting college staff nationally, with more than four in five staff struggling to pay the bills, and 8 in 10 saying their financial insecurity is harming their mental health. 

UCU regional official Adam Lincoln said:

‘This welcome agreement with Waltham Forest College will lead to better pay and working conditions for teaching and support staff. We thank the college leadership team for their serious engagement with UCU in negotiating this agreement.

‘This deal is a testament to the strength of our branch at Waltham Forest College, and to the determination of members to bargain for a fairer deal. Crucially, it shows us yet again that there is no excuse for college employers elsewhere in London and across the country to continue offering huge real-terms pay cuts, ignoring the severity of the cost of living crisis facing staff.’