University Salary Disparity “Unrest”

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32166, 9 December 1969, Page 18

University Salary Disparity “Unrest”

There is “considerable unrest*’ among university staff over a failure to initiate moves for higher salaries. The University of Canterbury administration is also concerned, and the Vice-Chancellor (Professor N. C. Phillips) yesterday expressed doubts oyer ability to hold staff and attract people from Australia and the United Kingdom.

“Our main aim is parity of salaries with Australia,” said the chairman of the Canterbury branch of the Association of University Teachers (Professor W. D. Mclntyre) yesterday.

The branch has sent the university council a copy of the text of a resolution expressing concern that a triennial review of salaries had not been made in mid-1969 for 1970, and saying there was considerable unrest because of this.

At the council’s meeting vesterdav, the Vice-Chancel-lor said that members would share this disquiet Draft submissions for the university salaries committee had been approved at a meeting of university vice-chancel-lors last Friday and it was hoped there was time for these to be taken into consideration, said Professor Phillips. “The situation is not a pleasant one to contemplate,” he said. The United Kingdom and Australia were the chief countries for recruitment of staff, but unless the need to make salaries comparable was recognised there would be difficulty not only in attracting people, but in preventing a depletion of staff. It was usually the best who left.

While the university here was fortunate in the loyalty <rf its staff, there was usually a point beyond which loyalty could not go. The Vice-Chancellor said that a professor's salary at present in Australia stood at up to $12,000, while in New Zealand it was about $B5OO. Salaries at other levels showed a proportionate disparity. 18 Per Cent Rise The new salaries in New Zealand would be paid from April 1, 1970, Professor Phillips said. But in Australia a further rise in academic salaries was expected which might give up' to 18 per cent more next yew. There was, therefore, more than an element of urgency and he hoped the result of recommendations would give the university at least a sporting chance of bolding the best staff, and obtaining

people from overseas. Asked by the students* representative, Mr P. H. Grocott, whether there was information as to when an announcement on the salary review could be expected, the Vice-Chancellor said all that was known was the date at which the new scale became effective. It would be rather disconcerting if because of delay, Australian salaries were “two generations ahead”

when it came to advertising for more staff. When the question was raised as to why a trienniel survey had not been made, it was pointed out that the Government had not undertaken a review with an announcement in 1969. Mr Grocott said he understood that the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall), had said an announcement would be made early in 1969. NEGOTIATIONS The Chancellor (Mr T. H. McCombs), said there had been extensive negotiations involving the A.U.T., but no date had been promised. Mr R. Shepherd said the need for early notification of what salaries would be had been emphasised three years ago. On the question of urgency, the Vice-Chancellor said that he would hate to think that the next batch of new staff in May would have to be advert Used for at the old salaries. Outlining the situation, Professor Mclntyre said that there had been in interim

.salary review last year in August An A.U.T. delegation had been received by Mr Marshall, and it had pressed for an early announcement in 1969. Mr Marshall had seen the value of the early announcement from a recruiting point of view, even though the salaries would not apply until April 1, 1970. Because of various factors, there was delay and negotiations first between the University Grants Committee and the A.U.T. and later at a second-tier level, between representatives of the association and the Government, had not begun.

University people in New Zealand wanted to know where they stood particularly as expected increases in the Australian salary scale of 10 per cent to 15 per cent would bring the lecturer’s starting salary up from $5400 to $6200, compared with a starting figure of $3lOO in New Zealand.

The starting salary of a senior lecturer in Australia was $7500, while in New Zealand a reader received $7300 at the start This meant that all Australian senior lecturers were getting more than all New Zealand readers and more than many New Zealand professors, Professor McIntyre said.