New general secretary Andrea Egan opened UNISON’s HE conference, reaffirming the value of education as a public good and stressing the importance of it being inclusive and accessible for all – regardless of financial background, age, or experience.
Andrea highlighted the growing inequality within the sector, saying: “While senior executive pay gets more obscene by the day, our lowest-paid staff struggle to get to the end of the month, and this is not acceptable.”
Standing in solidarity with LGBT+ staff and students, she added: “I stand proudly and unequivocally in defence of LGBT+ rights, because equality is not negotiable and discrimination in any form has no place in our workplaces.”
‘Through a united movement, we can signal to employers that higher education staff stand in solidarity with one another’
Throughout the conference, two key themes emerged: the growing threats to members’ jobs as a result of the financial crisis in the higher education sector, and the long-term impact of inadequate pay increases.
Angela Blackburn, speaking on behalf of the Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE), said: “University professional services staff face redundancies, cuts to services, real terms pay cuts, increased workloads, and are consistently under-appreciated. The Higher Education Service Group Executive stands in solidarity with all workers in HE settings.”
She continued: “As we move into a period of national industrial action and re-balloting over last year’s insulting pay offer, it is vital that those who take strike action feel supported by their comrades and colleagues — especially those who narrowly missed the threshold to take industrial action.”
‘Sexual assault is about power and control, just like any kind of exploitation – it’s a trade union issue’
Members also debated tackling sexual harassment. Lydia Freeman, speaking on behalf of HESGE, said: “Sexual harassment is on the rise across the UK, with many incidents going unreported due to fear of retaliation.
“When cases of sexual violence or misconduct are reported, they often go unaddressed, leaving survivors humiliated, isolated, fearful, and unable to access the support they need.”
She added: “Last year in the UK, nearly 900,000 people aged 16 and over experienced sexual assault, including attempts, with the vast majority being women and girls.
“In universities, the figures are even higher – 25% of final-year undergraduates have experienced sexual harassment since the start of their studies, rising to 68% of female students, and nearly half of LGBT+ students.
“Sexual harassment is ‘not just a joke’. The impact on mental health, the potential for PTSD, and the damage to professional performance are profound.”
Delegates also spoke in support of motions to combat the far right, as well as the HE pay motion for 2026/27. Members expressed deep frustration with the current pay model and offers from universities.
Callum Gandy from the University of Brighton said: “A 1.4% pay offer signifies a reduction in pay. It signifies a condemnation of our sector. Universities are seen as a drain on resources.”
Delegates expressed hope that the new Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff negotiating body (JNCHES) takes the opportunity this year to restore pay and rebuild trust in a process that has repeatedly let higher education staff down, damaging an essential public service.
Conference heard that members are facing an ongoing cost of living crisis, with living standards slipping while the inequality gap in the UK continues to grow. Delegates agreed that pay cuts send a clear signal to staff that they are undervalued, and that university leadership teams are not acting in the best interests of their workforce.
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