Lecturers vote in favour of pay deal

University lecturers have voted in favour of accepting a pay deal that will increase salaries by just over 13% over the next three years.

Around 71% of University and College Union members voted in favour of the pay offer, made by the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association.

The announcement comes after a national boycott of exam and coursework marking which began in March. The action had threatened to delay thousands of graduations this summer.

Sally Hunt, UCU joint general secretary said: "The very high turnout shows the level of engagement with the union that members have had during the dispute. The final settlement provides a solid first step towards restoring pay levels in our universities to those of comparable professions, but our employers must realise that there remains a long way to go.

"Recent studies have confirmed UCU's view that there is extra money available for pay in the future, and we expect this to be confirmed by the independent review of university finances in year three. The employers can expect a further claim on this basis in 2008/09.

"In the meantime, this dispute has shown that the days when universities could hold salaries down and take our members' goodwill for granted are over for good."

The National Union of Students also welcomed the end of the pay dispute, describing it as a "step forward" for students. NUS President Gemma Tumelty said: "There is no doubt that the industrial action made life very difficult for students, many of whom faced serious disruption. There is a palpable sense of relief across UK campuses now the action is over.

"We now need to look to the future. NUS has received assurances from the University and College Union that their members are doing everything they can to ensure that students get any delayed marks back as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation and to do all we can to support any students still affected by the action."

(KMcA)