University chiefs got 7.9% rises

Academic staff pursued a marking boycott in 2006

UK university chiefs had average pay rises of 7.9% last year, taking the average to £165,105.

The Times Higher Education Supplement found the average vice-chancellor's salary rose by £12,000 in 2005-06.

The University and College Union pointed out that 43 of them were earning more than the prime minister, with 34 on salaries of £200,000-plus.

The university employers said staff remuneration that year rose by a similar percentage, taken overall.

The vice-chancellors' group, Universities UK, said their pay was determined by remuneration committees in each university.

"These committees report to the independent governing body of the university, and invariably include business and other external representatives," a spokesman said.

"Any suggestion therefore that such pay deals go unchecked is sadly wide of the mark."

'Wrong message'

But the academic union's joint general secretary Sally Hunt said the rises came as the whole sector needed to unite around defending academic values, securing better funding and maintaining world class teaching and research.

She said: "The handsome rewards for those at the top threaten this vital unity and send exactly the wrong message to university staff.

"Their pay rises come in a year when staff workloads have continued to increase, class sizes have remained unacceptably high and job security remains a distant aspiration for thousands."

She said it was vital that universities should ensure proper scrutiny of vice-chancellors' pay and pensions to avoid suspicions of "one law for those at the top and another for the rest".

The employers' organisation, Ucea, said that in 2005-06 staff generally received a 3% cost of living increase but 60% also received a pay increment worth between 3% and 3.75%.

Other staff would have received a pay increase on promotion whilst others still would have received pay increases on transfer to new pay and grading structures.

"Overall, therefore, the majority of higher education staff saw their pay increase by a similar percentage to heads of institutions," a spokesperson said.

Dispute

During the year, the two unions which merged to form the UCU - the AUT and Natfhe - took industrial action in pursuit of a more substantial pay rise.

After a one-day strike, members boycotted exams and marking.

They eventually settled for 13.1% over three years, with 3% from last August.

Unions representing support staff agreed the same rise without industrial action.