University staff protest against pay rise delay

Sheffield Hallam University staff protested against the decision to defer their 2024/25 pay award

University staff have held a protest against the decision to defer their pay rise until 2025.

Sheffield Hallam University management informed employees in September that their award would not be activated until July next year and that pay would not be backdated.

Around 30 members of several trade unions took part in the demo on Monday outside the Owen Building in the city centre.

The agreement on pay was reached with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association but Joe Wheatley, GMB regional organiser for South Yorkshire, accused Sheffield Hallam of "financial mismanagement".

Joe Wheatley from GMB said the university was "pinching from workers' pockets"

Mr Wheatley added: "The university has made bad choices and is now pinching from workers' pockets."

Ben Abell, a lecturer in biosciences and branch secretary for UCU, said staff understood the university's financial difficulties but wanted more "clarity and transparency".

Sheffield Hallam has invested in new buildings in the city centre and a new campus in London that is expected to open in September 2025.

Mr Abell added: "We understand they are running deficits but they have not provided enough information or clarity to justify their decision-making.

"The university should be investing in people but instead they are investing in buildings."

The BBC understands that almost three quarters of universities in England will face financial problems next year - despite tuition fees increasing.

Ben Abell is a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam and the branch secretary for the UCU

In May the university announced that up to 400 non-academic jobs could go as it faced the prospect of a drop in international student enrolment.

Unison's branch secretary Dan Bye, who was worked at the university for 30 years, said morale was at an "all time low".

He added: "Withholding back pay had a direct impact on our wallet. A lot of people have been let go recently. These are demoralising times."

A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson said: “Like all universities, we are having to make a number of tough decisions due to the well-documented financial challenges being faced across the higher education sector.

“One of these will be to implement the annual nationally negotiated pay award for staff later than in previous years, which will help us to reduce costs significantly and protect more jobs.

“This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. It is part of a clear plan to reduce costs and grow income to help us towards a more sustainable financial future, where we can continue to be one of the UK’s most popular universities.”

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