Lectures and classes for thousands of students in London have been disrupted today by a strike of university and college staff over London allowances. Staff are asking for an increase in weighting to £4,000.
The strike, involving staff from porters to professors called by the Association of University Teachers, the other lecturers' union Natfhe, Unison and Amicus, closed the former University of North London, now the northern campus of London Metropolitan.
Union representatives were due to meet the Universities and Colleges Employers Association today, but its director, Jocelyn Prudence, said although there were opportunities in the long term to resolve the problem of London allowances, universities could not do much in the short term. "We are extremely sorry that this action has taken place," she said.
Demonstrations are taking place outside university buildings across the capital with picket lines backed up by student theatre and jazz bands. A stretched limousine filled with university "fat cat vice-chancellors" is being pursued by an open-top bus of university staff past each of the main picket lines.
The dispute is complicated by differing bargaining arrangements - London weighting in new universities is dealt with nationally through Ucea, but the pre-1992 institutions negotiate their own conditions with staff. Allowances at the University of London have been frozen at £2,134 for 10 years and its vice-chancellor has refused any increase.
Ucea is offering staff at new universities a 3.5% - between £60 and £90. Employees now receive up to £2,355. The unions claim the vice-chancellors are refusing to hold further talks on the issue. Ms Prudence said the old universities had enhanced salaries to attract staff to London, although extra pay was not necessarily classed as a London weighting allowance. She said London universities were keen to discuss an increase in the formula used for the capital by Hefce, but that would not affect allowances this year.
"The London problem is best addressed through ongoing negotiations on pay modernisation. Opportunities for resolving the issue are more available in the longer term than the short term," she said.
