VCs' pay needs proper scrutiny says UCU

The survey of vice-chancellors' pay from Times Higher Education-Grant Thornton reveals that vice-chancellors enjoyed an average pay rise of 8 per cent from 2005-6 to 2006-7 and that 56 of them have a higher annual salary than the prime minister.

The union is concerned that vice-chancellors' pay goes largely unchecked and there appears to be no clear principles that determine how big the rises are or why they are awarded. Academic staff are subjected to much greater scrutiny in terms of their pay and UCU believes vice-chancellors should not be immune to such analysis. The union is calling for much greater transparency and clear guidelines that outline why vice-chancellors receive the rises they do.

Key figures from the survey:

• the overall increase in vice-chancellors' pay was 8 per cent from 2005-6 to 2006-7, up slightly from the 7.9 per cent increase enjoyed the previous year
• universities' average contribution to vice-chancellors' pension was £22,452
• forty-five vice-chancellors now earn more than £200,000 a year and three earn more than £300,000 a year
• fifty-six vice-chancellors enjoy a salary bigger than the prime minister, an increase of 13 from the previous year
• in total, the UK's heads of universities were paid £27 million

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'At a time when some universities are pleading poverty and suggesting they may have problems fulfilling commitments on staff pay, it does seem a little distasteful that vice-chancellors have once again enjoyed above average pay increases. Vice-chancellors' pay continues to fall outside of the type of scrutiny their staff are subjected to and how they merit big increases is never properly explained. 

'They should be subjected to performance-related pay, like their staff are. If they do perform well enough to merit reward then they should receive a bonus, rather than a massive pay boost that tops up their final salary pension scheme. It is vital that universities ensure there is proper scrutiny of vice-chancellors' pay and pension provision if we are to avoid suspicions of one law for those at the top and another for the rest.'

The full results can be seen at www.timeshighereducation.co.uk