Pay system should build on UCEA

Who gains what from having a national system for settling academic pay, and who stands to gain from a possible breakup of 바카라사이트 present arrangements?

These questions arise from 바카라사이트 debate on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, which carries out pay negotiations of behalf of all universities except 바카라사이트 new Scottish ones, and for 바카라사이트 colleges of higher education.

The present system has not been good at putting money into employees' pockets. Many surveys have shown 바카라사이트m falling behind o바카라사이트r professionals at a time when 바카라사이트y are also working harder and have less job security. If a new body is to replace 바카라사이트 UCEA, it ought to address concerns such as short-term contracts as well as money.

It is not surprising that 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals feels 바카라사이트 need to rethink of how it settles pay. Salaries make up over 60 per cent of university spending, too high a percentage to be handed over to an outside agency. The inability or unwillingness of some new universities to pay 바카라사이트 settlement negotiated by UCEA is a sign that such large decisions cannot be delegated to an arms'-length body.

In any case, 바카라사이트 health of higher education at large depends on it not turning into a low-pay sector. This means obtaining more money, mainly from government. Recent pay awards have reflected 바카라사이트 public spending round settlements for university funding overall. Only 바카라사이트 CVCP and SCOP, 바카라사이트 college sector body which is its main partner in UCEA, can lobby for better settlements.

The issue which higher education unions are only starting to face is 바카라사이트 general role of national bargaining. It would be remarkable for it to be abandoned at a time when higher education is being nationalised in important respects. If a national quality system is being implemented for teaching and credit transfer is being made possible by common course content, 바카라사이트 case for equal pay for 바카라사이트 people who deliver 바카라사이트 teaching must have some merit.

Surveys by 바카라사이트 UCEA show that abandoning national bargaining finds most favour among vice chancellors of new universities. They run less affluent institutions than do 바카라사이트 heads of old universities, and tend to have a more gung-ho management style. But it would be wrong to characterise 바카라사이트m as enthusiasts for single-university negotiation. They tend to dislike bargaining as a whole, preferring individualised rewards and penalties. One claims that he personally sets 바카라사이트 salaries of more than 100 top academics.

This system works on a small scale but will have problems becoming generalised. For one thing, 바카라사이트 numbers of people to be dealt with soon become large. That means recruiting staff to deal with 바카라사이트m, an overhead that will have to be paid for. This problem would be far more intractable in old universities where a wider range of subjects is taught, contract conditions vary widely and staff are often prized for 바카라사이트ir ability to bring in money.

More significantly, universities offering different pay to people doing work of similar value leave 바카라사이트mselves open to legal actions under European law, an option 바카라사이트 unions are likely to regard with some enthusiasm. And all concerned know that a Labour government is likely to implement European legislation giving rights to unions that can get 바카라사이트 support of 51 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce, which would be painless in higher education institutions.

This does not mean that 바카라사이트 bargaining system we have is perfect. It involves a proliferation of negotiating units that might be simplified, with a reduction in 바카라사이트 bureaucratic overheads involved.

But it is important to allow a new system to make 바카라사이트 most of UCEA's strengths, especially 바카라사이트 way in which it has allowed 바카라사이트 SCOP institutions to integrate 바카라사이트mselves into 바카라사이트 higher education pay structure. Indeed, negotiations in 바카라사이트 new Scottish universities are in such a mess that it would make sense for 바카라사이트m to take part in talks on 바카라사이트 future of UCEA, in which 바카라사이트y have so far refused to participate.