26 October 2005
Dundee University to Boost Academic Pay
The University of Dundee and the Dundee Association of University Teachers today announced that they are close to agreement on a new pay structure for academic and academic related staff which will significantly boost pay for lecturers and researchers.
From next year, new lecturers will start on £28,009. This is a 15% increase on starting salaries for lecturing staff. Postdoctoral researchers will have a starting salary of £24,886, an increase of 24% on current starting salaries. New grade scales have also been agreed for administrative, library and computing staff.
The proposed agreement is to implement locally the national pay 'Framework Agreement' by improving remuneration, ensuring equal pay for work of equal value, improving recruitment and retention of staff and ensuring the University’s ability to compete in the market.
Sir Alan Langlands, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Dundee University said:
"I am delighted that the University of Dundee is leading the university sector in Scotland by agreeing a new pay and grading structure with AUT. The University is operating in an increasingly competitive international labour market and we need to encourage the best possible talent to pursue a career in academia. Having a competitive pay structure is an important factor in ensuring that we attract world class talent to Dundee University.
Other factors include developing a world class campus with the best possible research and teaching facilities and to that end we are investing £200m in our campus, increasing our investment in postgraduate training and hiring the best possible people. That level of investment is reflected by achievements such as topping the Times Higher league table for teaching quality in the UK, our recent short-listing as THES Higher Education Institution of the Year and generating the third highest per capita research income in the UK".
David Bleiman, AUT Regional Assistant General Secretary, welcoming the proposals, said:
"Dundee University is the first in Scotland to develop a new pay structure for our members. I am delighted that these proposals go beyond the terms of our national agreements and set higher salaries to recruit and retain academic and academic related staff. The University is responding to the need to compete with English Universities which have already agreed new pay structures. It is now well positioned to maintain its comparative position in an increasingly competitive market and that can only be good for staff, students and the Dundee economy. Frankly, this is a wake up call to the rest of the higher education sector in Scotland who will have to work hard to catch up."
Notes for editors
The pay and grading agreement is subject to a ballot of members of Dundee AUT. It is expected that the ballot will go ahead in the near future although it should be noted that some details of pay assimilation and protection arrangements are still being finalised and that the University has also to conclude negotiations with the other campus unions, UNISON representing clerical and manual staff and Amicus representing technical staff.
For further information contact:
Roddy Isles,
Head of Press
Tel: 01382 344910,
out of hours: 07968298585,
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
AUT : Carlo Morelli,
President Dundee AUT
Email: c.j.morelli@dundee.ac.uk
Tel: 01382 344380
The Association of University Teachers has nearly 600 members at Dundee University, where it represents academic teaching and research staff and academic related staff including senior administrative, library and computing staff. AUT has more than 6,000 members in Scotland and 48,000 members across the UK.
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