09 March 2006

25% pay increase, vice-chancellor? That'll do nicely

Joint NATFHE-AUT national release

University lecturers say they will happily end their pay dispute for a pay rise equivalent to that of vice-chancellors, who - it was revealed today - enjoyed a 25% pay increase over the three year period of 2001/02 to 2004/05. The average vice-chancellor now earns £154,060 a year - more than four times the average lecturer’s salary.

Lecturers want a pay increase of 23% over the next three years, as higher education income increases by 25% when £3.5 billion of extra cash enters universities from top-up fees and other sources.

Lecturers took part in the best supported UK wide strike for 30 years on Tuesday (7 march) and began an assessment boycott yesterday (Wednesday 8 March), which may delay students’ graduations, to force employers to make a pay offer.

Lecturers have to study for eight years before beginning their profession and say their pay is now way behind that of equivalent professionals. Even Tony Blair admits this. 135 MPs have signed an early day motion supporting lecturers' campaign for improved pay.

Roger Kline, head of the universities department at NATFHE said:

"Today’s figures expose the employers’ condemnation of lecturers’ pay demands as shameless hypocrisy. Vice-chancellors paid themselves large increases while higher education was apparently too poor to do much for lecturers’ pay. With their own needs now comfortably satisfied and with £3.5 billion extra cash available over the next three years, they can clearly bring lecturers’ salaries up to their proper level."

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), said:

"We have insisted from the beginning of the current pay dispute that all we are seeking is a fair settlement. Since vice-chancellors have received a 25 per cent pay rise over three years, we will call the industrial action off immediately, accept parity of pay and a deal worth 25 per cent over three years. If, however, the vice-chancellors do not deem their staff worthy of an equal pay rise then our action will continue."

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