Call for end to secrecy on university pay

● Majority of university heads are on committee setting their wage

More than two-thirds of vicechancellors sit on the committees which sets his or her pay, a university lecturers’ union has revealed.

The University and College Union (UCU) says university heads have hidden behind their “secretive remuneration committees” for too long and is demanding proper scrutiny of the salaries.

The union used Freedom of Information requests to obtain data on membership of UK university remuneration committees.

In Scotland six vice-chancellors are members of such committee.

These are the universities of Strathclyde, St Andrews, Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, the Highlands and Islands and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Latest figures show Professor Sir Jim Mcdonald, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, had a total pay package, including salary, benefits employer contributions and bonuses of £360,000 – the highest pack-

0 Glasgow University’s vice chancellor sits on a remuneration committee age for a Scottish university. The average pay (excluding pensions) for vice-chancellors in 2005-6 was £165,105.

In the past decade it increased by 56.2 per cent to £257,904 in 2015-16.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: “For too long vice-chancellors have hidden behind the shadowy remuneration committee when it comes to pay.

“However, in the majority of cases, the vice-chancellor sits on that committee and the university refuses to issue minutes of the meeting.

“It is time to lift the lid on the secretive world of university remuneration committees.”

A Universities Scotland spokesman said: “The principal has no role in the decisionmaking process for their own pay, nor do they take part in any discussions.

“Some principals may have membership at remuneration committees to comment on the performance of staff they manage.

“University leaders, student leaders and representatives of the trade union movement are currently looking at what more can be done to strengthen inclusive and transparent decision-making.”