Employers' proposals could compound 'institutional racism'

9 March 2004

Academic and related staff have today attacked the national university employers' current pay proposals for potentially compounding 'institutional racism'.

The proposed changes, which would water down the current system of national pay bargaining, would lead to under-regulated localised negotiations - with increased discretion for each institution.

Studies indicate that where discretion for bargaining is increased women and non-white staff nearly always receive worse treatment.

Depressing figures from the AUT, published this week, show that, as localised bargaining is increasingly being introduced through the back door, the pay gap between white and ethnic minority staff is substantial and growing.

In 1995-6, the average pay for full-time white academics was £26,431, while the average pay for full-time black and Asian staff was £23,558 - a gap of just over £2,800.

Incredibly, by 2001-2, the gap had grown. Full-time white academics were, on average, earning £33,232. By contrast, the average pay for full-time ethnic minority academics had risen to £28,873 - a gap of more than £4,300.

During this time, a decreasing proportion of staff have seen their pay awarded through national negotiations. In 1995-6, 80 per cent of academics were employed on nationally determined pay scales. By 2001-2, this had decreased to 71%.

AUT deputy general secretary Malcolm Keight said: 'Increased local discretion on pay and progression raises major concerns about equal opportunities.

'In our experience, it often leads to inconsistent treatment, non-transparent procedures and the reinforcement of existing institutional practices that systematically disadvantage certain groups, such as ethnic minority staff and women.

'Ensuring fair treatment is a huge challenge for universities, which can only be achieved through nationally negotiated procedures. That's why we're opposed to the employers' current proposals to introduce a system of under-regulated localised bargaining.'

In 2001-2, there were approximately 11,000 academics of non-white ethnicity out of a total of nearly 120,000 full-time academic staff. Around half of the non-white academics were employed in a research-only role, while the others were either teaching-only or teaching and research.

The AUT reluctantly began action short of a strike, including a boycott of all assessment work, last Monday (1 March), after the employers failed to re-engage in formal negotiations. The action is biting hard at institutions across the country, with scores of university exams being hit.

During the indefinite period of action short of a strike, there will also be boycotts of:

• call-out cover;
• job evaluation exercises;
• staff appraisal schemes;
• And cover for absent colleagues.

More information on the AUT report and the current dispute is available by following the links above right.