‘Limited room for manoeuvre’ on pay rises for university staff

Employer groups highlight tough economic backdrop as unions gear up for strikes

Universities have “very limited room for manoeuvre” when it comes to helping staff through the cost of living crisis, an employers’ group has said as institutions brace themselves for more strike action.

George Boyne, chair of the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (Ucea), said during a press briefing on 21 November that although university staff have been offered a sector average pay rise this year, employers “recognise that there is still a significant gap between the pay uplift that’s been provided and the rate of inflation”.