YORK HAS one of the worst gender pay gaps in the country at the full time professorial level, research by Times Higher Education has found – but uni bosses won’t commit to a pay-rise, York Vision can disclose.
The average salary for full time male professors is £79, 004, compared to only £71, 451 for full time female professors. The shocking difference of 9.56% means that York has the EIGHTH worst gender pay gap in the country, excluding some small and specialist institutions. The figures, however, only relate to full time professors, not full time academics.
Among those that have a bigger gender pay gap for professors include the University of Kent, Royal Holloway London, and Swansea University.
The news comes after a report published last year found that the average female academic at York is paid only 82.6% of the average male academic’s wage. The research, commissioned by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), found that the stat makes York the 23rd worst in the country for the difference in pay between male and female academics.
When asked by Vision, uni management refused to promise a pay-rise for York’s female academics, saying: “We are currently consulting staff across the University as part of the equal pay review (EPR) and will finalise an action plan to ensure we focus on the right activity to reduce our gender pay gap.”
Last year, Essex University gave its female academics a one off pay-rise to deal with its gender pay problem, Times Higher Education reports. This year, the London School of Economics followed suit, after an investigation found that its female academics were underpaid by an average of 10.5% compared to male academics of similar experience and qualifications.
The revelations come despite recent data showing that the University had a surplus of £4 million in 2015-16. The figures, from the Higher Education Statistics Authority show that the University managed to obtain the surplus largely by lowering costs, which include staff pay.
Katie Smith, a third year education student slammed the pay disparity, saying: “If we consider ourselves a top university we need top conditions for staff – equal pay shouldn’t be something women ask for anymore it should be a given right.”
When approached for comment, a University spokesperson told Vision: “We complete an equal pay review every two years, as part of our commitment to equality and diversity among our workforce. The most recent report indicates no significant pay gap amongst the majority of staff who are on the national pay framework and that the overall gender pay gap at York has fallen by three per cent since 2008.
They added: “The main cause of the overall pay gap is the decreasing proportion of women working in senior grades. We recognise that changing this staffing profile and representation of women at different grades is key to addressing the gender pay gap, and we are continuing our efforts to address this.”
“All sectors need to better understand what is happening to women at different points in their career, such as the impact of maternity leave on careers and other barriers to progression. We want to understand what barriers women face in developing their careers so that we can address them effectively.”
You would hope one of you took math. When you AVERAGE wages across groups of different types and sizes you will find gaps. When you compare like for like, there IS a gap, but its males earning slightly less, as they further their careers and come back with more skills and break into higher pay. But you knew this in 2013 or something when you last published it, and pay grades were displayed. IT was clear you are incorrect in the math.