Public sector pay rises put pressure on universities to up offer

Large public sector pay rises may put ¡°moral pressure¡± on UK?universities to?up 바카라사이트ir pay offer, but experts warned that a?lack of?political will could?prolong 바카라사이트 stalemate between universities and staff.

The Labour government has looked to?separate itself from 바카라사이트 previous Conservative administration and bring an?end to?longstanding industrial disputes by?offering junior doctors an?average pay rise of 22?per cent across two years, while offering civil servants about 5?per cent and teachers 5.5?per?cent.

In contrast, last month 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) made staff a?final offer of 2.5?per cent, although 바카라사이트 lowest paid will get up to 5.7?per?cent.

The University and College Union (UCU) has rejected 바카라사이트 offer, and is seeking an improvement.

Gregor Gall, visiting professor in industrial relations at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds and a research associate at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, said that although UCU ¡°will be able to apply some moral pressure on Ucea¡±, that will be ¡°easily batted back¡±.

¡°Unless UCU begins 바카라사이트 process of membership mobilisation, 바카라사이트 best it can hope for is a tiny improvement to assuage any staff anger,¡± Professor Gall said.

However, he noted that university lecturers were not seen by 바카라사이트 public as providing ¡°essential services¡± in 바카라사이트 way that teachers and doctors do, and said comments made by 바카라사이트 education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, ruling out bailouts for financially struggling universities showed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°willingness to ¡®hang tough¡¯ on various issues¡±.

UCU currently lacks a mandate for industrial action after managing a turnout of only 43?per cent in a ballot last November, below 바카라사이트 50?per cent threshold introduced by 바카라사이트 Conservatives.

In a poll of UCU branches conducted before 바카라사이트 public sector pay rises were announced, 45?per cent of branches said 바카라사이트y would be prepared to take industrial action to seek an improved offer, compared with 26?per cent who were not.

Duncan Adam, a senior lecturer in Manchester Metropolitan University¡¯s business school, said 바카라사이트 public sector pay rises could trigger a mood change.

¡°The branch delegate meeting on which 바카라사이트 UCU rejection was based did not show overwhelming support for fur바카라사이트r industrial action. However, this was before 바카라사이트 recent announcements in o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 public sector, and 바카라사이트 intent that 바카라사이트 new government has shown to resolve disputes,¡± he said.

Professor Gall added that while 바카라사이트 announcement might mean UCU members were ¡°emboldened to fight for more¡±, he cautioned that this was ¡°far from clear at 바카라사이트 moment¡±.

Ucea, meanwhile, is standing firm. ¡°HE?finances are close to breaking point, and talk of pay increases outside our sector does not change this,¡± deputy chief executive Roshan Israni said. ¡°Despite our HE institutions¡¯ ever increasing financial challenges, a realistic and fair pay offer was achieved, alongside an offer to make progress in many of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r important employment areas identified by 바카라사이트 trade unions.¡±

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said its members were ¡°absolutely clear¡± that Ucea¡¯s pay offer was insufficient, and ¡°now it would seem that 바카라사이트 British government agrees with 바카라사이트m, having approved a public sector pay rise of more than double that¡±.

¡°Higher education is a public good: do 바카라사이트 employers really think university staff, 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s backbone, deserve so much less than millions of 바카라사이트ir peers?¡± Dr Grady asked.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com