Library assistants, administrators and IT workers are among the support staff at the University of Brighton who have secured a deal giving them up to seven extra days of paid holiday each year, says UNISON today (Wednesday).
It follows a long campaign by the union highlighting the unfair difference in annual leave entitlement between academics and staff who work in professional services.
From September, full-time professional services staff on grades 1 to 9 will receive 30 days of paid holiday from day one, narrowing the gap with lecturing staff, who get 35.
That means those on the lowest pay will see a full extra seven days, while those on higher grades and with longer service also benefit from increased leave.*
The move to 30 days for all makes this a significant uplift and removes the linking of leave allowance to job role or service length, UNISON says.
Support workers will continue to push for the same annual leave as academic staff, the union adds.
As part of the agreement, the university has also committed to reviewing pay-grade boundaries for the lowest-paid workers, potentially increasing wages for facilities and domestic staff.
UNISON University of Brighton branch secretary Ivan Bonsall said: “Professional services staff are the backbone of the university. They manage admissions, maintain clean and safe buildings and provide welfare support for students.
“Despite their contribution, they’re treated differently to academic staff while often working longer hours and receiving fewer paid holidays. This decision is a step forward but UNISON’s fight for equal holiday entitlement continues.”
UNISON South East regional secretary Jo Galloway said: “Staff winning extra paid holiday will be good news for them and their families. But there’s still more to do to achieve full equalisation between academic and support staff.
“Pay remains low in professional services. With the cost of living crisis continuing, university bosses now need to address historic low pay and prove they value all staff.”
