UCU response to Universities UK report: 'university leaders cannot be handed blank cheques'

Responding to the report released today by Universities UK, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:

'This crucial report highlights how important university staff are to the economy and society at large, and demonstrates the benefits of government funding. But university leaders cannot be handed blank cheques: they must use public money to invest in their own workforce.  The pay of staff in higher education has been held down for over a decade, and tens of thousands are on insecure contracts - some as short as six weeks. It is simply unacceptable for those whose teaching and research enriches our economy by hundreds of billions of pounds to themselves be kept on insecure, underpaid contracts.

'We echo Universities UK's call for more investment, but this must be accompanied by a fair pay uplift, in line with that awarded to teachers, train drivers and junior doctors. Meanwhile, the government needs to protect our world-leading universities by lifting Tory visa restrictions on international staff and students, and financially supporting any institution at risk. Ultimately, increased public funding will be necessary to sustain the sector.'