National pay bargaining in HE could be under threat following Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement where he declared he wanted to make public sector pay "more responsive to local labour markets", according to the THE. "A Treasury source told a national newspaper that the government would "bring national bargaining to an end" in the public sector, to boost the private sector in regions heavily reliant on higher-paid state employment", and Professor Alison Wolf of King's College London pointed out that "If it really does go in the other parts of the public sector, then I don't see how it can really last in HE".
"Matthew Knight, chair of Universities Human Resources, said: "The chancellor's comments...will prompt further heart searching about whether [higher education's] current system can survive the short, let alone medium, term", but that local pay would not be a "cheap option" for employers in the short term. He called for employers to "maintain an open and honest dialogue with the trade unions as we individually and collectively assess next steps" the THE reports.
Click to read the rest of the Weekly Digest