Union chiefs' pay modest

Higher and further education union leaders' salaries remain modest compared with vice chancellors and funding council executives, according to a recent study.

The figures are from the annual report of the independent Certification Office, which is responsible for collating financial information from unions and employer associations. They show that David Triesman, general secretary of the Association of University Teachers, received a total remuneration package of Pounds 61,963 for the year ending August 1996, comprising Pounds 48,804 gross salary, Pounds 4,374 employer's national insurance payments and Pounds 8,785 employer's pension contribution.

John Akker, Natfhe general secretary, received Pounds 58,251, comprising Pounds 45,680 gross salary, Pounds 4,365 NI payments, Pounds 7,948 in pension contributions and Pounds 258 miscellaneous.

The median vice chancellor salary for 1995/96 was Pounds 97,000. The Higher Education Funding Council for England paid its chief executive, Brian Fender, Pounds 119,000 in 1995/96. Sir William Stubbs, then chief executive of the Further Education Funding Council, earned Pounds 109,000 in 1995/96. Mr Akker said: "At the present time it would be entirely wrong for my salary to be anything like the levels of employers' and quango chiefs' salaries."

Mr Triesman commented: "Over the past five years I have had a series of miserable pay rises, just like our members. I look forward to the time when we can have an independent pay review body for the whole profession." His pay rises are pegged to those won by his members and his pension matches the provisions of the Universities Superannuation Scheme.