Determination of academic pay in universities and colleges in UK under the new pay framework: the policy and practice

Academic pay was uniform across universities and colleges below the level of professors till 2004 in UK. Following the global trend, UK has moved away from the nationally determined scales of pay. Since 2004, the broad Pay Framework Agreement which allows for flexibility in pay based on a flexible structure has been adopted and used by universities in UK. The new framework provides for salary and career progression to attract, retain and motivate staff, rewarding appropriately their knowledge, experience and contribution. The national pay spine consists of 51 points and universities negotiate with local union representatives to establish grading structures for academic staff that map onto the national spine. The 51 pay points comprises of ten overlapping grades with a minimum and maximum for all staff below the level of professors. The study reveals that the individual sample universities selected from pre- and post-1992 universities are now adapting into a decentralised institutional based pay determination mechanisms.