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[Disappointed]

Doesn't seem too hot to me:

    *  Aug 06 - greater of 3% or £515
    * Feb 07 - 1%
    * Aug 07 - 3%
    * May 08 - greater of 3% or £420
    * Oct 08 - 2.5%


I wonder where the strike will go from here. I doubt this will accepted by the unions

[Scottish academic]

Up here in Scotland so strike is over as far as we are concerned.

[science expat]

It doesn't seem to be much more than their last "best and final offer". Anyone want to do the math?

[UKsystem]

From the AUT website

"AUT negotiators have indicated to employers that the offer as outlined does not meet key requirements. This will be reported to an emergency AUT executive meeting tomorrow morning (31 May) and a further statement will follow that meeting."

[science expat]

Somebody please check this - it's late, I'm tired, and I've had a couple of glasses of wine.

Still, I ran the numbers based on someone making 10k just before August 06. My calculations are that at the end of July, 2009 the total salary earned will be:

£32,322.50 - previous offer
£32,446.19 - current offer

This seems so ludicrous that I must have made a mistake; anyone want to have a go?

The relevant figures are 10K in July, 2006 and I'm skipping the bit for the lowest paid. Hence:

old offer:

* Aug 06 - 3%
* Feb 07 - 1%
* Aug 07 - 3%
* Feb 08 - 1%
* Aug 08 - 3%
* Feb 09 - 1%

new offer:

* Aug 06 - 3%
* Feb 07 - 1%
* Aug 07 - 3%
* May 08 - 3%
* Oct 08 - 2.5%

Maybe I don't need to worry about my marking....

[Disappointed]

I am also in Scotland and I assure you, there is no 'Scottish offer'

[puzzled]

is this right? so is it indeed than the earlier offer of 12.6%?

(From AUT website) Effect on pay rates:

Latter part of:
2006-2007 +4.03%
2007-2008 +10.37%
2008-2009 +13.12%

[ExPat in UK]

I'm just really confused by this. I see the info on the AUT site. There's nothing on the other union (NATFHE) and there is nothing in the Guardian.

perhaps my confusion is rooted in the fact that the cats have just dragged dead bird all over my new carpet. Anyone know how to get blood stains out? I don't want CSI over here... the feathers I can vacuum up.

[Lucy]

An extra half a percent over three years.  Er .... could do better, surely.

ExPat, last time my cats got blood all over the carpet (why do they bring us these presents ...) I managed to get it out.  First, by pressing dry kitchen roll into it to get as much out that way as possible.  Then, by using a cloth damped with cold water.  It took me *ages* but it did all come out.   However, it might depend on the composition of your carpet, and whether it's already dried, which would make it harder.  Whatever you do, don't use anything warm, as that will set it.   The alternative is to call in a carpet cleaner; they can deal with most things.  I hope it's not a pale carpet.

[Anon]

Anyone else beginning to wonder if the employers deliberately want to prolong the situation, in order to get more money out of the government?

[ExPat in UK]

Lucy wrote:

>I hope it's not a pale carpet.

Of course it's a pale carpet....  and it's been down less than 3 weeks. I still haven't even gotten the furniture put back (or the oriental rugs on top of the carpet) (I've been on the flipping road for ages! 4 overseas trips in 6 weeks)

The cat flap is now CLOSED for the summer. The darn things will just have to put up with me letting them in and out when *I* want to.

And with this horrible pay raise I can't afford to have it cleaned... *laugh*

[ExPat in UK]

Anon wrote:

> Anyone else beginning to wonder if the employers deliberately
> want to prolong the situation, in order to get more money out
> of the government?

I think that it's a game of who can hold out longer. I'm finding it interesting that with the unions merging tomorrow that some legal types are questioning the original balloting. Will the employers now demand that balloting be done to the 'new' union membership? Remember, the two different unions had two different strategies. AUT= no setting exams or marking NATFHE= setting exams, but no marking

[science expat]

I've redone the quick and dirty math on a spreadsheet and can correct my initial figures. Again, the caveat is excluding the minimum rise for the lowest paid; I've chosen 10k as a starting point because it's easy to extrapolate to your own figure.

The columns below are the gross monthly income under last night's offer and the previous "12.6%".

starting wage   10000   
   monthly salary   
   current   previous
      
Aug-06   858.33   858.33
Sep-06   858.33   858.33
Oct-06   858.33   858.33
Nov-06   858.33   858.33
Dec-06   858.33   858.33
Jan-07   858.33   858.33
      
Feb-07   866.92   866.92
Mar-07   866.92   866.92
Apr-07   866.92   866.92
May-07   866.92   866.92
Jun-07   866.92   866.92
Jul-07   866.92   866.92
      
Aug-07   892.92   892.92
Sep-07   892.92   892.92
Oct-07   892.92   892.92
Nov-07   892.92   892.92
Dec-07   892.92   892.92
Jan-08   892.92   892.92
Feb-08   892.92   892.92
Mar-08   892.92   892.92
Apr-08   892.92   892.92
      
May-08   919.71   892.92
Jun-08   919.71   892.92
Jul-08   919.71   892.92
      
Aug-08   919.71   919.71
Sep-08   919.71   919.71
      
Oct-08   942.70   919.71
Nov-08   942.70   919.71
Dec-08   942.70   919.71
Jan-09   942.70   919.71
      
Feb-09   942.70   928.91
Mar-09   942.70   928.91
Apr-09   942.70   928.91
May-09   942.70   928.91
Jun-09   942.70   928.91
Jul-09   942.70   928.91
      
total wage   32413.42   32158.32
      
difference   255.11   

For someone making £38k, the sums are
total wage   123171.01   122201.60
      
difference   969.41   

Maybe the employers really are at the edge of affordability...

[%sig%]

[skipper]

If this new "best and final" offer is put to the membership, I will vote against it.  I would anticipate it will be voted down more generally.  For one thing, I'm enjoying this business of not doing any marking...

[ExPat in UK]

I'm not enjoying the business of not doing any marking.

I don't really have a lot, but I do have 3 MA students who need to defend and 2 Ph.D. students who need to have a viva set.

I'm really annoyed by the entire thing. We've gotten 3% raises for the past few years... why do they think that the pittance that has been offered is going to address any of the lag?

As for the folks who think that getting a decent raise will put non performing academics out of work... well.. they already are being put out of work. There have been a lot of departments closed because of non recruiting.