UNISON has lodged a dispute with the University of Nottingham over plans to re-evaluate roles for its lowest-paid support staff that will see poorly paid workers’ incomes squeezed even further.
The university’s mission statement says “Our purpose is to improve life for individuals and societies worldwide”, but it’s lowest paid staff struggle on some of the lowest wages in higher education.
In response to a UNISON freedom of information request in March 2013, the university revealed that, over a year, it spent £884,232 on agency staff, but the union points out that the cost of bringing the 569 staff who are paid less the living wage in line with the current rate would be around £550,000 for a year.
The university’s accounts show that total income increased by £41m in the last financial year, leaving it with a surplus of £22m. But the university says it can’t afford the living wage.
Despite these low wages, it is now trying to “re-evaluate” the roles of its lowest-paid staff – without full consultation with UNISON.
UNISON East Midlands head of higher education Catherine Mellors noted that, at the same time, “operations and facilities staff have less favourable terms and conditions, so they cannot move naturally up the pay scale, and have a more stringent disciplinary process than other staff.”
Nottingham University is not part of national pay bargaining, but negotiates pay locally.
The union says that “far from improving life for individuals, the university leaves its own staff struggling to pay their household bills or pay their pension contributions.”
Yet at the same time, the number of staff earning more than £100,000 a year has risen from 115 to 134, at a cost of £16m.
The vice chancellor alone takes home a £357,000 pay and bonus package.
This includes an ‘accommodation top-up’ of £42,000, £39,000 in lieu of pension contributions and private health insurance paid for by the university – which has its own medical school on site.
“The disparity in income at the university and the employer’s refusal to pay a fair wage for low-paid members shows a lack of judgment,” says UNISON national secretary Jon Richards.
“Too many vice chancellors don’t understand the growing revulsion at the expanding differentials between low paid staff and overpaid leaders.
“Nottingham University has made itself one of our top targets in our living wage campaign. We will be watching them very closely from now on.”
Ms Mellors added that the university “is making a lot of noise about investment in the student experience and new buildings, but it is very quiet about being an employer that does not pay its staff a living wage.”