Update on national pay negotiations: agreed uplift to be paid in October pay
Posted on behalf of: Human Resources
Last updated: Friday, 9 October 2026
National pay negotiations involving the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) and the trade unions take place on an annual basis. Further to the update in July, UCEA has advised the University of Sussex, along with all others it represents in the negotiations, to implement the 2% pay uplift to all employees on all points of the pay spine as soon as possible.
The HR team is now taking steps to implement the pay increase, which will be reflected in staff’s October pay, with backdated payments to the 1 August effective date.