‘Out of touch’ university chiefs condemned as lecturers go on strike

Students set to lose eight days of tutorials after talks break down over pensions, pay and working conditions

VICE-CHANCELLORS have been condemned as “out of touch” as students fear eight days of strikes by lecturers will jeopardise their grades.

University chiefs are preparing to face down picket lines tomorrow after talks aimed at resolving a dispute over pay and pensions broke down.

More than a million students were set to have their studies disrupted as academics from 60 universities voted in favour of industrial action.

Members of the University and College Union held two ballots last month, one over pensions and another over pay and working conditions. The union is locked in a battle with Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, over proposed pension reforms to address a reported deficit and rising benefit costs.

The current dispute is over union members being forced to increase their contributions to maintain the same level of benefits. Both sides blamed each other for the breakdown in talks, with lecturers angered by their employers’ suggestion that their pension was one of the best in the country.

Jo Grady, the union’s general secretary, said this was “as insulting as it was astonishing”. She said staff were “not going to be lectured” about their pay, working conditions and pensions by “out of touch” vice-chancellors.

“As well as their massive pay rises, they see nothing wrong with boasting about their fancy cars, employing staff in grace and favour second homes, having chauffeurs run them around campus and then pocketing enormous pay-offs when they leave,” she said.

“And, despite all this, they still avoid paying rent and stick £2 worth of biscuits on expenses.” This last was a reference to Dame Glynis Breakwell – Bath University’s former vice-chancellor, whose salary and benefits added up to £468,000-a-year – claiming an additional £20,000 on expenses, which included £2 for biscuits.

Vice-chancellor salaries have come under scrutiny recently and figures showed that this year their average pay broke through the £250,000 barrier.

Students feared the industrial action would mean lost classes, lectures and tutorials which could affect their dissertation grades and degree.

The Office for Students, the higher education watchdog, has published advice reminding students of their consumer rights, raising the prospect of financial compensation for loss of teaching hours, but university chiefs said that extra lecture notes and online resources would be provided.

Defending vice-chancellor pay, Universities UK said British universities were “world-leading” and had to “attract the strongest talent to lead them”.