Members are angry at a real terms pay cut while those at the top get small fortunes
GMB, the universities union, is urging members to reject a ’woeful’ deal which will see thousands hit with a real terms pay cut.
The offer from university employers is just 1.8% - lower than the current CPI rate of 2.1%
It also allows universities to defer any increase for almost a year on grounds of financial difficulty.
Meanwhile university bosses enjoyed pay rises of 3.5% - with some now trousering a whopping £500,000 a year.
This woeful offer should be rejected by GMB members
Kevin Brandstatter, National Officer
GMB represents thousands of non-academic staff in UK universities, who have voiced their concerns over low pay, excessive workload, stress and bullying management.
The GMB National Higher Education Committee will meet in London to consider the outcome of the ballot and plan the next steps in a campaign to secure justice for all university workers.
Kevin Brandstatter, National Officer for Higher Education, said:
"This woeful offer should be rejected by GMB members.
“It does nothing to raise the standard of living for many GMB members, and does not address some major issues in UK universities, such as the gender pay gap, excessive workloads and workplace stress.
“The pay of non-academic staff in UK universities has been squeezed by Government pay policy, a refusal to invest in an important part of the public sector, and pay lags behind the private sector and many parts of the public sector.
"GMB members are justified in feeling angry about pay in the university sector given that those at the top are paid exorbitant salaries, bonuses and benefits, which for some amount to over half a million pounds. “
