Staff at all seven of the UK’s research councils are now represented by Prospect

Employees within all seven research councils, now brought together under the umbrella body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will be represented by Prospect union.

The union previously covered four of the research councils – the Natural Environment Research Council, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

It will now recognise a total of 7500 staff from UKRI, which brings together all the UK research councils along with Innovate UK and Research England, a body introduced to replace the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

‘This is a really positive first step for this newly created high profile organisation which has many ambitious aims. Prospect is looking forward to building a productive relationship with UKRI,’ said Prospect’s national officer Tony Bell in a statement.

The union says it will begin working towards unified conditions and equal pay at UKRI, which currently encompasses many different pay structures.