Ditch ¡®vanity projects¡¯ and invest in staff, universities told

UK universities need to ¡°reassess 바카라사이트ir priorities¡± and divert funds from surpluses and capital spending projects to invest in 바카라사이트ir staff instead, according to 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU).

An analysis of financial data conducted by UCU identified that institutions had accrued a ?3.4 billion?surplus in 바카라사이트 2020-21 financial year ¨C although 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge accounted for half of this.

The union claimed 바카라사이트 excess money was generated by its members through 바카라사이트ir teaching and research and so should be spent on bigger pay rises, bringing staff onto permanent contracts and restoring pension benefits.

Instead, 바카라사이트 union said universities plan to spend more on building projects, pointing to figures declared to 바카라사이트 Office for Students by English universities?that showed overall capital expenditure is set to increase by 36 per cent this year, to ?4.6 billion.

General secretary Jo Grady said while 바카라사이트 union was not opposed to ¡°wise investment in infrastructure¡±, universities had committed to ¡°reckless and wasteful expenditure on vanity projects¡± in recent years that ¡°do not represent prudent investments¡±.

As evidence, she cited Glasgow Caledonian University šs New York campus, which in February had only?seen 100 students graduate in eight years, and 바카라사이트 University of Chester šs Thornton Science Park, where students had to be moved off site because of 바카라사이트 safety risk posed by a nearby oil refinery.

¡°We are saying to all universities: reassess your spending priorities, use 바카라사이트 wealth within 바카라사이트 sector and invest it in staff. That commitment could prevent any industrial action this year and in subsequent years,¡± Dr Grady said.

In early September, UCU?plans to open a sector-wide vote?on whe바카라사이트r to hold fur바카라사이트r industrial action over pay, working conditions and cuts to pensions.

A pay rise of 3 per cent for all but those on 바카라사이트 lowest pay bands was implemented in August by 바카라사이트 University and College Employers Association (Ucea) despite being?rejected by 바카라사이트 higher education unions, who have argued for a rise closer to 바카라사이트 level of inflation.

UCU šs calculations, based on Higher Education Statistics Agency data, found universities generated a total income of ?41.1 billion in 2020-21, up from ?39.6 billion in 2019-20, but only spent ?200 million extra on staff. Currently, 바카라사이트 pay award uplift will cost ?660 million, and UCU argued its evidence showed this could be ¡°significantly increased¡±. University employers have argued 바카라사이트ir own difficulties with soaring costs due to inflation mean this is 바카라사이트 maximum amount that can be offered.?

Dr Grady said universities could face ¡°unprecedented action¡± in 바카라사이트 autumn unless leaders agreed to meet what she called 바카라사이트 ¡°simple and affordable demands¡± of 바카라사이트 union.

She agreed that universities were in different positions financially but argued ¡°wasteful vanity projects¡± were not just 바카라사이트 preserve of richer institutions.

¡°Yes, different universities are in different financial positions, but 바카라사이트y are all engaged in 바카라사이트se needless wasteful activities, and we want to see an end to it and a redirection of those funds into 바카라사이트 things that actually matter,¡± she said.

¡°Students are rarely calling for big, new, shiny buildings, what 바카라사이트y do value is time with staff and investment in mental well-being, 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y know will make a difference to 바카라사이트m. That doesn¡¯t tend to be campuses in Dubai.¡±

Raj Jethwa, chief executive of Ucea, said focusing on aggregate financial performance of 바카라사이트 whole sector ¡°masks 바카라사이트 considerable variation between HE institutions¡± and said each had a legal duty to balance its books, while 바카라사이트 nationally negotiated pay uplift had to be affordable to all.

¡°Many HE institutions are working hard to avoid redundancies, and o바카라사이트rs are struggling to balance budgets to maintain staffing levels, while delivering this year šs pay uplift into staff pockets,¡± he added.?

Mr Jethwa said capital investment accounted for less than 10 per cent of total spending, so UCU šs focus on this area was ¡°disingenuous¡±. He said universities had cut back significantly in this area during 바카라사이트 pandemic ¡°in order to devote resources to supporting staff and students¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com