Up to 100% of pay withheld

V-cs believe wage docking could force an end to the dispute, reports Anthea Lipsett.

Two out of five vice-chancellors are docking pay in a bid to force academics to abandon industrial action, a survey by The Times Higher suggests.

Some 21 of the 53 vice-chancellors who responded to our survey carried out earlier this month said they were docking pay at levels ranging from 10 per cent to 100 per cent.

Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor of Leeds University, said: "We will be withholding 30 per cent of pay but the trigger will be failure to deliver exam marks, or otherwise to perform normal duties in relation to exams that causes irrevocable damage to the students. In many cases this will become clear only later in the examinations timetable but the date from which pay is withheld is May 17."

Bristol University began withholding 30 per cent of the pay of those academics not marking exams from May 22, when its exam season began.

The University of Arts, London is docking 100 per cent of pay on "partial performance" days. "For example, failure to attend an examination board or failure to present marks when requested," a spokesman said.

Cambridge University will dock 100 per cent of pay for days on which staff take action. But this will depend on academics declaring after the dispute is resolved what action they have taken.

Warwick University is taking a similar stance. "We will deduct 20 per cent from salaries of those staff who declare that they are taking action short of a strike. To date we have no confirmation that any member of staff is taking such action," a spokesman said.

Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of Luton University, said: "All staff here understand that there cannot be cost-free industrial action. We are stopping one day's pay on the day on which staff are involved in partial performance. On that day, if staff are not prepared to fulfil their contract, then we do not require any work from (them)."

Oxford Brookes University is also docking 100 per cent of pay for members of staff who do not submit exam marks.

Rex Knight, Oxford Brookes' deputy vice-chancellor, said: "We are encouraging staff to release marks, but have also made it clear that the university will withhold pay from staff who breach their contracts by submitting marks after the deadline of May 25."

Birmingham University is docking 10 per cent of staff pay.

A further 12 confirmed they are docking pay but preferred not to go on the record. On top of these, 17 are considering docking pay. The remaining 15 are not.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the Association of University Teachers, said: "The majority of universities recognise that bullying tactics such as docking pay will act as a catalyst for prolonged and far more damaging disruption."

Several universities would be prepared to negotiate local pay deals if national negotiations failed and the unions were amenable, the survey showed.

Most university heads said they were still considering their options on whether to allow students with incomplete marks to graduate. Several will allow students to graduate with unclassified degrees and give the classification when they have the marks.

anthea.lipsett@thes.co.uk