Call for university pay inquiry

Natfhe and AUT members went on strike on Tuesday

Academics' unions have called for an inquiry into the pay of university vice-chancellors after a survey showed 18 earn at least £200,000 a year.

The AUT and Natfhe unions, representing lecturers and academic staff, called for scrutiny following the survey by the Times Higher Education Supplement.

The AUT have asked why vice-chancellors deserve such high salaries.

But Universities UK said such packages are needed to attract and retain staff in a competitive market.

The survey found more than 30 vice-chancellors can claim higher salaries than the £169,000 earned by Prime Minister Tony Blair, and that pay for university bosses increased on average by 25% between 2001-02 and 2004-05.

Members of the AUT and Natfhe went on a national one-day strike over pay on Tuesday, and a boycott of assessments and appraisals has begun.

'Demanding job'

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the AUT said: "I think there is a real and urgent need for vice-chancellors' pay to be properly scrutinised and all rises to be conducted in a transparent manner.

She added the union would be calling on the education secretary for a proper investigation into why vice-chancellors are paid so highly.

Vice-chancellors do a demanding job as chief executives of complex, multi-million-pound organisations Universities UK and Ucea

Roger Kline, head of the universities department of Natfhe, also supported an inquiry.

He said lecturers would settle for the 25% pay rise vice-chancellors had awarded themselves, but pointed out an independent inquiry into lecturers pay had supported their case for significant salary increases.

But Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, and university employers' group Ucea said vice-chancellors' pay was justified in an increasingly competitive global market .

"Vice-chancellors do a demanding job as chief executives of complex, multi-million-pound organisations," they said in a joint statement.

"Their remuneration packages reflect what it takes to attract, retain and reward individuals of sufficient calibre, experience and talent in a growing sector.

"The average percentage increase in vice-chancellors' pay for 2004-05 was well below the average for chief executives in both the public and private sectors," they added.