KCL UNISON

Welcome to KCL UNISON.On this page you will find the most up to date information about branch campaigns, events and activities.Make sure to save the address and visit regularly!

London Weighting Allowance (LWA)

Following negotiations with King's College London, UNISON have successfully negotiated an increase in London Weighting Allowance (LWA). UNISON members now have the opportunity to vote on whether they ACCEPT or REJECT this offer.Full details can be found on our dedicated LWA page.

Additional Benefits Package

Running alongside our LWA consultation, UNISON members are also being asked to vote on whether you want to ACCEPT or REJECT a package of additional benefits, including improvements to annual leave, parental leave and childcare provision.Full details can be found on the dedicated consultation page.

Bouygues In-House

UNISON and King's College London Joint Statement on Bouygues in-housing (Tue 1st August)

Dear AllKing’s College London & UNISON are delighted to announce that the university has made the decision to insource FM services from New Hunts House and Franklin-Wilkins Building, in-house at the end of the Bouygues PFI contract in 2024.UNISON massively welcomes this decision which UNISON members have campaigned on for multiple years. This will be a huge improvement in pay, terms and conditions for members of staff. We both look forward for the ability to give those members of the KCL community a great formal welcome to become directly employed. We know this will be welcomed by many UNISON members and staff working in these areas. UNISON will be working closely with King’s College London to ensure staff voices are listened to during this process.This process is currently in the early stages but what we can confirm this decision applies to Bouygues staff in New Hunts House and Franklin-Wilkins Building. As with any in-housing campaigns there will be a lot of discussions relating to working patterns, responsibilities, so staff can expect there to be discussions with Bouygues and King’s management as we approach transfer in August 2024 to discuss these matters in further detail.
We hope to keep you updated soon on further progression with the in-housing process.

Pay Grade Review

UNISON members have begun a campaign to demand King’s College London to review its pay grades, and we are asking members to put their name to this collective grievance to put pressure on King’s College London to take meaningful action to address the issues around pay, particularly for members in the lowers pay grade.We are asking King’s College London to remove G1 and place all these members of staff at G2, and also to move the top pay point of every grade to the midpoint of the grade above. This would mean staff at each grade would have more pay increases to progress to, as the top of each grade would be higher.

Unsocial Working Hours Allowance

UNISON’s claim for an Unsocial Working Hours Allowance (UWHA) is currently progressing to the Employment Tribunal.A UWHA would see increased pay for hours worked during early morning, evening or night hours, or on weekends.This would recognise and compensate for the added inconvenience, burden on personal time, and health impact experienced by staff working these unsocial hours.

CSS Ban on Overtime

UNISON members in Cleaning and Security recently took action by submitting a collective grievance, which resulted in reducing the overtime ban placed on staff on Stage 1 or 2 Review down to 6 months.UNISON believes reducing the ban to 6 months is still not enough, and so we have lodged an appeal to get King's to reinvestigate the issue.We will continue to campaign and take action on this issue until the ban is removed.

Sick Pay Parity

After KCL UNISON flagged the fact that staff on Academic contracts received better sick pay than those on Professional Services contracts, King’s have agreed to change this policy so all staff are entitled to the same benefits.UNISON highlighted this is a clear example of unfairness which impacts negatively on UNISON members.Once changed, all Professional Services staff will be entitled to a further 2 months sick leave at full pay and 2 months sick leave at half pay, as soon as they start at King’s.

• Click here to vote

The consultation closes on Fri 29 September

• Click here to vote

The consultation closes on Fri 29 September

We know the more active members the more the more powerful we are. Below are some of the ways you can get more involved to help with the pay campaign and our wider work as a branch.Volunteering to be on the pay campaign group
The pay campaign group is responsible for keeping members updated on the current pay campaign. They leaflet, go out and speak to members, as well as designing resources to keep members informed. You don't need to volunteer a huge amount of your time and joining the group is a great way to help put pressure on our employer. To join simply email us at [email protected] and tell us you'd like to join the group.Become a Workplace Steward
Workplace stewards are the heart of our trade union. UNISON’s stewards are the reason we win campaigns that result in better lives for our members and all working people. Stewards help to organise your colleagues into an effective, strong and welcoming membership. They:
• Are the first point of contact for members in a workplace
• Talk to members about the union
• Talk to staff about their issues
• Offer advice on issues at work
• Represent members in cases (including at disciplinary and grievance hearings).
If you are interested in becoming a steward email us at [email protected] and tell us you'd like to join the group.Become a Workplace Contact
The role of a workplace contact is to let your branch know what’s happening in your workplace, and to help the union get messages to its members. It’s a good learning opportunity and starting point to get involved in the union. They:• Share information with colleagues and other UNISON members
• Keep notice boards up to date with UNISON information
• Have regular conversations with members in the workplace
• Support people looking to join UNISON
If you are interested in becoming a workplace contact email us at [email protected]

Message to website editors

Hello! This section is so we have a space to leave template and draft elements (e.g. the Event box below), rather than create them fresh each time.It has been given a gobbledegook heading and isn't linked to, so that it shouldn't be accidentally discovered by anyone casually browsing our site.

Spring 23 Ballot

For all the latest info and resources for the Spring 23 Ballot, visit our dedicated page

National Pay

UNISON in HE Campaign Page | UNISON in HE Twitter
UCEA negotiations page

The video below provides a quick explanation of the 2023 pay offer, that King's and other HE employers recently announced they would be imposing as of March 2023.

Thu 09 Feb

The electronic consultation of all UNISON members on national New JNCHES pay scales closed at 9am on Thursday 9 February.Later that day, UNISON and the other Joint Unions issued the following statement.We await to hear further information about the outcomes of these meetings, and of the electronic consultation.

Thu 26 Jan

Mon 30 Jan
Open Meeting

🕖 When: 12:30pm-2pm
📍 Where: Bush House (SE), 1.10 + Teams (check branch emails for link)A chance to talk to other members in the KCL branch about current campaigns and issues across the university.

Thu 09 March
Craft evening

🕖 When: 5:30pm-8pm
📍 Where: Bush House (S), 1.03Help make signs, posters, placards, badges and more that will be used in campaigns and to grow our branch's visibility at King's.We can also work on digital material, so if you're more comfortable with MS Paint than paint, come along and join in!Materials will be provided, but please do let us know if you have anything you think might be of use/interest.

The ballot closes in...

Following a digital consultation, UNISON is preparing to ballot members in Higher Education on whether they are willing to take strike action.The ballot will run from Tue 04 April - Tue 09 May

You can also find further information here:@KCLUNISON (Twitter)
UNISON Campaign page
@UNISONinHE (Twitter)

Balloting to win: how can we help everyone succeed?

The power of a branch comes from its members, each one of us doing what we can to achieve success together.It is absolutely vital to a successful ballot that each of us does what we can to make sure as many members vote as possible.Here are just some of the ways we can each chip in to win better pay for all:Digital Resources (available below and in our Google Drive)
Using profile pics, email banners and virtual backgrounds help keep our membership and campaign visible.Distribute flyers and display posters(available below and in our Google Drive)
Handing out leaflets out to staff and/or leave them on desks, and displaying posters in any staff areas keeps our campaign visible and informs our colleagues.Social Media
Post using #RisingforBetterPay, letting people know that you're voting, and why.UNISON merch
We've got pens, mugs, beanie hats, and plenty more for you to show that you're a proud UNISON member!Have a conversation with a colleague
Direct conversations almost always make the biggest difference. Maybe ask what they think of the pay offer, for what a better offer would mean to them, and if they’ve voted.Share UNISON information with colleagues
Many of our colleagues will only hear what their employer tells them. By sharing more information (like the pay explanation video below), we can help each other understand the full picture, so we can make more informed decisions.Help out with a walkaround or stall
Two or three members work together to talk to staff on site, handing out leaflets, explaining details about the campaign and why it’s important to vote. Check our calendar for details of when and where, or suggest your own!Attend meetings, and encourage colleagues to as well
Meetings are an opportunity to talk to members from across the branch. At meetings we can learn more about the campaign, share info, stories, concerns and ideas.

You can also find further information here:@KCLUNISON (Twitter)
UNISON Campaign page
@UNISONinHE (Twitter)

Newsletters

Download the PDF of the branch's latest newsletter by clicking on the image below.