Support is growing for the UNISON living wage campaign at Birmingham University.
UNISON members are today taking the first day of strike action in their dispute over pay.
According to a freedom of information request from the union and the National Union of Students, the university spent £1,792,034 on agency staff in 2013 – that’s the equivalent of £300 for every staff member.
Birmingham pays 326 members of staff below the living wage. Catering, cleaning and security staff are all directly employed by the university.
Meanwhile in 2007-08, the vice chancellor received a total pay and benefits package of £332,000, including a pension payment of £40,000. In 2011-12, figures provided to Times Higher Education show that the current vice chancellor received a total package of £406,000 – that’s an increase of almost a quarter.
Around 800 union ancillary and support staff are taking action, which will escalate to a work to rule next week.
The dispute is to gain improvement on a 1% pay rise that has been imposed by the university.
Support has been received from elected representatives at Birmingham City Council, which has paid its own staff a living wage since Labour took power and has recently pledged to ensure it is also paid to all staff providing care to residents in Birmingham.
Deputy leader of the council, Ian Ward, said: “The council would urge all employers in Birmingham to adopt the living wage. It is only right that hard-working employees get a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.
“The living wage makes a real improvement to the quality of life for those affected. Research shows where it has been introduced, that attendance, motivation and loyalty are all improved, along with better recruitment and retention of workers.”
Richard Burden, the MP for Longbridge, added: “There are currently 4.8 million workers in the country who aren’t paid enough to get by. Prices have risen in 39 of 40 months of David Cameron’s government and people are increasingly struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.”
Striking workers have also received messages of support from Gisela Stuart, the MP for Edgbaston, Steve McCabe, the MP for Selly Oak and Jack Dromey, the MP for Erdington.
Higher education industrial action
