Staffordshire University withdraws threat over pay

In a bulletin to all staff the university's vice-chancellor explained that the proposal was being withdrawn. The move follows huge opposition from staff.
 
The news comes less than two weeks after UCU members lobbied the university's board of governors as they met to discuss the plans. Had Staffordshire gone ahead they would have been only the fourth institution in the UK to pull out of national pay bargaining.
 
UCU branch secretary at Staffordshire University, Martin Fiddler, said: 'We are pleased that the university has responded to the strength of feeling against the proposals. Withdrawing it was a sensible move and it is a shame that the university thought about pulling out of national pay bargaining in the first place.'

UCU head of higher education, Michael MacNeil, said: 'Proposals to move to local pay bargaining would have lead to unnecessary disputes and would have been a distraction from the real issue of achieving decent pay and job security through national discussions between higher education trade unions and employers.'