FAQ for managers: Pay negotiations

When

When will pay increases come into force?

Answer: Agreed pay increases will come into force from 1 April 2026.

Who

Which managers conduct the pay negotiations?

Answer: The authority to negotiate cannot be delegated to a level lower than head of department/­head of school (Arts)/­centre director/­deputy director and administration centre manager level.

The managers with the right to negotiate at this level will involve lower-level managers in the preparation for the negotiation meetings.

Who decides the financial framework for the pay negotiations and how the money will be distributed?

Answer:

Prior to the annual pay negotiations, the senior management team, following discussion in the Main Liaison Committee (HSU), decides on an overall pay negotiation budget.

The pay negotiation budget for pay negotiations 2026 is fixed at 0,7% of the previous year's payroll costs. Special circumstances may justify a lower percentage rate than 0.7% in a department/deputy director's area.

Do the pay negotiations cover all employees?

Answer: Yes, pay negotiations cover all employees, including managers.

How

Can I recommend an employee for a pay increase?

Answer: Yes. Both the employee's union representative and the immediate supervisor can recommend the employee for a pay increase.

Can an employee ask – and be allowed – to negotiate his or her own pay instead of the union representative?

Answer: No, this option is only available to those employees who are entitled to do so in accordance with their collective agreement, i.e. 

  • Managers
  • Professors
  • Part-time lecturers
  • Employees on individual contracts
  • Special and senior consultants
  • State-employeed journalists
  • Administrative officers, laboratory technicians and members of IT staff who are covered by the trade union agreement with HK (the national union of commercial and clerical employees) in specific positions with job content and salary level corresponding to salary grade 35 and 36.