Update on the 2026/27 National Pay Award
30 Jul 2026
National negotiations are continuing, with any agreed pay increase set to be backdated to 1 August 2026
The national negotiations for the 2026/27 pay round are still ongoing.
Following the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) full and final offer on 15 May 2026, EIS, Unite and UNISON have rejected the pay element of the offer. UCU and GMB are currently consulting with their members before responding.
As part of the national bargaining process, UCEA is now awaiting responses from all trade unions to determine whether any union intends to invoke the New JNCHES dispute resolution procedure. If a formal dispute is notified, UCEA will arrange the necessary meetings as quickly as possible to help progress discussions.
As the national process has not yet concluded, we have been advised by UCEA that it will not be possible to implement a pay uplift from 1 August 2026.
We remain committed to the national pay negotiations and will provide a further update once the 2026/27 pay round has been concluded. Any agreed pay award will be backdated to 1 August 2026.
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