Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to issue the first update highlighting the important work undertaken in partnership with our recognised Trade Unions.
The University is committed to working in partnership with our recognised Trade Unions. We hold a united view of the vital contribution which staff at all levels make to the success of the University, and we share a firm commitment to the benefits of working in partnership to build and sustain a positive relationship in the workplace and foster a culture of collaborative working.
The University has a Partnership Negotiating & Consultative Committee (PNCC) comprising of Trade Union and University management representatives that meets four times yearly, reporting to the University Court. These meetings allow the opportunity for a regular and effective forum for discussing matters affecting the terms and conditions of employment of all our staff, as well as other employment matters. The key and overriding principles of PNCC are for management and the Trade Unions to work together in partnership to build positive relationships, and to foster constructive dialogue and agreement about employment matters.
At PNCC’s first meeting of the academic year, it was agreed that regular updates should be issued to the community informing staff about the key matters being discussed.
The items discussed at the meeting held on 29 August were:
Partnership Working and Recognition Agreement
The University has a formal agreement with the Trade Unions, reviewed annually, which provides a framework and set of underpinning principles which determine the nature of the partnership. Changes for the academic year 2024/25 were agreed and finalised at the meeting.
Pay and USS Pension Updates
The PNCC meetings provide the opportunity for discussion of any updates on pay negotiations, including discussions which take place at a national level. Currently, the University and Unions are waiting for a further update from JNCHES (Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff) regarding the pay award for 2024/25.
Financial Sustainability
The Committee discussed the current financial position of the University, recognising the ongoing financial pressures and challenges facing us and the sector as a whole. PNCC are mindful of the impact caused by the recent departure of staff under the early retirement scheme or voluntary severance. It was discussed that whilst a key factor that underpins the budget and our road to financial recovery is a near-freeze on recruitment, in order for the University to continue to deliver excellent education and research and a strong service to the community, key positions are still being considered for replacement. You can see a list of recently advertised vacancies on the University’s recruitment pages.
The Financial Planning Committee has to make careful judgements about the staff recruitment that can take place, but forums like PNCC allow Trade Unions to share staff opinions and views that inform the Financial Planning Committee's decision-making.
Workload & Wellbeing
Workload remains a key concern for the Senior Management Team and our unions. Previous communications on wellbeing have signposted staff to the support available. Our Wellbeing Teams are working closely with individual Schools and Directorates to help tailor support to the needs in each area.
To fully meet the needs of our diverse community, we must capture the feedback received not only from Heads of Schools and Directors of Professional Service areas but also within teams across the University. We agreed to encourage managers at all levels across the University to ensure that there are regular discussions about workload amongst teams and with individuals, to ensure all voices are listened to and can feed into our decision making, and the importance of ensuring that this is the case is being discussed with Heads of School and Directors. Please also take this communication as a signal of empowerment to raise any concerns about workload individually with your line manager. The Staff Survey in November will also provide detailed insights into workload and wellbeing across the University. It has been agreed that each School and Directorate will then develop wellbeing action plans with support from our Wellbeing Team.
Support for staff facing financial difficulties
We are aware that the cost-of-living crisis is still affecting many members of our community. PNCC agreed that the small amount of funding remaining from the Staff Hardship Fund scheme should be used to ensure the pantry located in the Crush Hall is stocked with essential food items and toiletries.
Fair Work Statement
Fair Work First is the Scottish Government's policy for driving high-quality, inclusive, and fair work across the labour market by applying fair work criteria to grants, other funding and contracts, where relevant to do so. The Scottish Government is encouraging employers to adopt fair work practices and the University and Trade Unions are fully in support of this policy. PNCC received a draft paper setting out the University of Aberdeen’s commitment in this area and we look forward to being able to update you on the specific details of our commitment in the near future.
Approval of Policies & Procedures
- Collective Agreement
Following negotiations with the campus trade unions, the Collective Agreement to Harmonise Terms and Conditions of Employment was finalised in June 2024. This resulted in changes to terms and conditions in respect of annual leave, overtime payments, public holiday payments, pre-retirement leave and sickness leave. PNCC has now approved the changes to the appropriate existing policies and contractual documents and the introduction of a new Pre-Retirement Leave policy.
As a reminder, the changes to annual leave have taken immediate effect, with sickness leave entitlement to be harmonised from 1 July 2025.
- Intellectual Property, Equity and Revenue Sharing
This revised policy is the outcome of the Intellectual Property Exploitation and Revenue Sharing Policy Task & Finish Group, established as a Sub-Group of the University Enterprise and Innovation Committee. The overarching purpose of the Group was to review the University’s current policy to ensure that it is fit for purpose and aligns with institutional ambitions around the commercialisation of intellectual property in support of our Aberdeen 2040 strategic objectives, the Regional Economic Strategy, Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy and Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint. PNCC discussed the revised policy and following discussion of final comments, the policy will proceed for consideration and approval by the Court Commercialisation Committee in the next few weeks.
Investigation, Disciplinary, Grievance & Casework update
In the last 12 months, we worked to develop a new Investigation Procedure and we updated our Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures. PNCC is provided with regular updates on how the procedures are operating within the University to ensure they work effectively. A key area of discussion is the length of time that these processes can take, and how this can impact staff. These discussions are useful to make sure that support is in place and we can make ongoing improvements to how these processes are operating. We would urge anyone who would like to discuss these policies to contact our HR Team or Campus Unions. Both can provide helpful information on how these processes are managed and can support you with any concerns that you may have relating to your employment.
Information on PNCC and the minutes of previous meetings can be found here:
We hope you found this update helpful and look forward to providing further updates from PNCC in the future.
Best wishes
Karl
Karl Leydecker
Senior Vice-Principal