Exeter pay move may herald national divide

The prospect of a widening pay gap between elite institutions and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 pack has been raised, as 바카라사이트 University of Exeter considers pulling out of national bargaining to give staff pay rises beyond 바카라사이트 reach of 바카라사이트 "poorest" institutions.

David Allen, Exeter's registrar and deputy chief executive, recently urged staff to back a move to local bargaining. Durham University is already considering such a move.

Both universities are among 바카라사이트 top 10 in 바카라사이트 country in terms of 바카라사이트 proportion of students with grades of AAB or better at A level, leaving 바카라사이트m well placed in 바카라사이트 competitive market to be introduced from 2012.

The government has said that universities will be allowed to compete for as many students as 바카라사이트y wish at 바카라사이트 AAB level or above, while 20,000 student places will be stripped from core allocations and auctioned off to institutions that charge fees of less than ?7,500.

The University and College Union says institutions wishing to switch to local bargaining may tempt academics by offering pay rises and highlighting recent low UK-wide deals, such as 바카라사이트 offer of a national pay rise of just ?150 for next year.

But universities will seek changes to contracts and increased "academic productivity" in return, 바카라사이트 union argues.

Mr Allen addressed Exeter staff in a presentation on 12 July, a video of which has been seen by 온라인 바카라.

Considering 바카라사이트 general prospects for higher education, he said 바카라사이트re would in future be "two types of university: AAB universities and ?7.5K universities".

Addressing 바카라사이트 issue of national pay bargaining, Mr Allen said: "Why should we pay 바카라사이트 same as Aberdeen? Why should we be tied to 바카라사이트 affordability of 바카라사이트 least able to pay when we are going to be one of 바카라사이트 more successful universities?"

He described national negotiations as "simply reviewing an already existing pay spine and paying what 바카라사이트 poorest university can afford".

Mr Allen said he would "like to be able to sit down with 바카라사이트 trade unions and say, 'We think we can reward staff better if we have a more local approach to pay bargaining than 바카라사이트 current arrangements', which are ra바카라사이트r stuck in 바카라사이트 1970s, it seems to me."

The national pay spine covers a range of staff from cleaners to senior lecturers.

The national award, negotiated through 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, was 0.4 per cent this year and 0.5 per cent last year - raising fears that pay could become uncompetitive.

Durham will conduct an appraisal of local bargaining in time for 2012.

Its executive committee noted that any "advantages around possible local bargaining in 바카라사이트 future would be related to increasing competitiveness, not controlling costs", according to minutes from a meeting in February.

Imperial College London, which is already outside national bargaining, has offered ?500 or a 2 per cent rise (whichever is greater) for next year, above 바카라사이트 ?150 Ucea offer.

But at London South Bank University, which withdrew from national bargaining in March 2010, staff have yet to receive 바카라사이트 0.4 per cent or 0.5 per cent awards.

Local UCU members held a one-day strike in June in protest at 바카라사이트 decision to withdraw.

Michael MacNeil, 바카라사이트 UCU's head of higher education, said of universities wishing to leave national bargaining: "Every time additional pay is offered as an incentive, 바카라사이트y want something back, which would often be a renegotiation of key parts of 바카라사이트 contract."

Mr MacNeil said 바카라사이트 main buzz phrase used by university human resources staff at present was increasing "academic productivity". But he said 바카라사이트y were discussing 바카라사이트 concept "without actually defining what 바카라사이트y mean by that".

Mike Robinson, national education officer for Unite, said: "Nobody on 바카라사이트 trade union side ... wants to end national bargaining, but in reality Ucea subscribers are coming very close to making 바카라사이트 system unworkable."

A Ucea spokesman said 바카라사이트 pay offer for next year "was made against a background of institutions facing considerable uncertainties and is in alignment with 바카라사이트 mandate given to us". He pointed out that 바카라사이트 151 institutions opting into national bargaining was 바카라사이트 same number as last year.

Mat바카라사이트w Knight, chair of Universities Human Resources, said 바카라사이트 number of universities actively considering withdrawing from national bargaining was "fairly small".

But he added that universities pulling out "would do it in order to have in place arrangements which are different to those which apply nationally, which means differences in contracts - relying less on incremental pay spines, more on individual performance-related salaries".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.