London's 'fat cat' v-cs attacked by unions

Lecturers' leaders attacked London's vice-chancellors as "hypocritical fat cats" this week for refusing to increase their staff's London living allowance while taking their own "£16,000 London bonus".

The Association of University Teachers said vice-chancellors in London, on an average salary of £136,000, earned £16,000 more than their counterparts outside the capital. London's old universities have refused to increase lecturers' London allowance for ten consecutive years.

The AUT confirmed it would join lecturers' union Natfhe in a ballot for strike action in support of a £4,000 additional annual "London-weighting" payment.