In the news: 26 May 2017

Academic gender pay gap will take 40 years to close, says new report

It will take 40 years to close the academic gender pay gap, warns a report released today by UCU. The report reveals that, in 2015/16, UK universities had a 12% overall gender pay gap for academic staff, compared to 12.3% in 2014/15 and 12.6% in 2013/14. UCU says significant pay gaps at the top levels combine with the under-representation of women in senior posts to push up the overall gender pay gap in higher education.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt told the Mirror: 'At this rate it will take 40 years to close the academic gender pay gap. The fact that women are under-represented in the higher management grades and the professoriate is contributing to the overall 12% gender pay gap for academic staff.'

Speaking in the Guardian, Sally said that universities need to properly assess their pay gaps: 'We are now submitting local equal pay audits at universities and want institutions to analyse and address their gender pay gaps.'

Copies of the report will be available at a meeting on gender pay at UCU congress in Brighton on Sunday, where the report's author will be among the speakers.

UCU plans to name and shame colleges with poor pay practices

The TES looks ahead to congress noting that delegates will discuss a motion that calls for the introduction of a "Disinvestors in People" badge to name and shame colleges with poor pay practices. The magazine says the plan is part of a new pay strategy which would see colleges exposed on social media.

That strategy would involve lobbying organisations to address the gender pay gap in further education, establishing permanent posts for hourly-paid, temporary, fixed-term and casual staff, and lobbying colleges to adopt the living wage.

Andrew Harden, head of further education at UCU, said: 'UCU remains committed to national bargaining, but it needs to be effective. The Association of Colleges has not helped itself in refusing to make an offer at last week's meeting after having a month to reflect on our claim. No one can believe it to be right that the passion and commitment of staff can or should be rewarded with further reductions, in real terms, to their pay. This year's claim reflects the legitimate expectation of staff that they fall no further behind and get back a little of what they have lost.'

UK academics warn of low levels of protection for academic freedom

UK academics report significantly lower levels of protection for their academic freedom, when compared to colleagues in other EU countries, says a report released yesterday. The report, by Professor Terence Karran and Lucy Mallinson of the University of Lincoln for UCU, also reveals that a quarter of UK academics (23%) say they have been subjected to bullying by colleagues because of their views.

Academic Freedom in the UK: Legal and Normative Protection in a Comparative Context includes surveys of UCU members and academics from the other 27 EU member states. Just two-fifths of UK academics (42%) said they felt they had an adequate working knowledge of the concept of academic freedom. Academic freedom is clearly important to academics though as four-fifths of (81%) said they wanted more information on the concept of academic freedom. Speaking to Times Higher Education, author Terence Karran asked what kind of example such high levels of bullying were setting for students.

Terence Karran will be discussing the report with delegates at UCU's annual congress in Brighton on Saturday lunch time.

Election manifesto plans for further education scrutinised

Ahead of the general election, the sector has been scrutinising the party manifestos. Speaking to FE Week for an election special, Sally Hunt welcomed Labour's recognition of the need for extra investment in the sector, saying 'We urgently need extra teachers to help meet the growing demand for high-level skills in our economy.' She also welcomed Labour's plans to reintroduce student support and scrap advanced learning loans, saying they 'show a commitment to removing barriers to learning.'

Commenting on the Conservative manifesto, Sally said that the proposed review of funding had 'no mention of extra resource for colleges in the short term' and said that any review must mean 'additional investment rather than simply shifting existing spending around.' She also criticised plans to allow employers to use the apprenticeship levy to pay wages, saying 'the next government must not let employers off the hook in paying for the skilled workforce upon which they rely.'

You can view UCU's own comparison of the manifestos' education policies on the UCU policy hub.

Call for Durham University to halt social care course cut

UCU has called on Durham University to halt plans to scrap its social work degrees. Under the current plans, the two-year professionally qualifying Master of Social Work course and the one-year MA in International Social Work and Community Development would see their final intake of students in October 2017.

UCU regional support official, Jon Bryan, said: 'The courses are well-known and highly thought of in the sector, and those who graduate value what they achieve. We believe the university must think again and consult properly with all of those who have an input into these courses, including students, staff, employers and others in the social care profession.'