Big pay rises for vice-chancellors unjust

Tertiary Education Union
Media release
20 September 2013

Big pay rises for vice-chancellors unjust

The University of Canterbury's vice-chancellor, Rod Carr, received an increase in remuneration of more than $40,000 between the years 2011-12 to 2012-13 according to information released by the State Services Commission.

"The University of Canterbury is a university that is struggling financially, its struggling to recover from an earthquake, its losing students and sacking staff," said TEU deputy secretary Nanette Cormack. "It's hard to imagine how a vice-chancellor who is already paid far more even than the Prime Minister could justify taking a pay rise that equals an entire salary."

Other staff at the university have not had a pay rise since January last year. 300 staff have lost their jobs since 2010.

The State Services Commission reports that at least six of the country's eight vice-chancellors received pay rises from their councils, despite falling government funding for tertiary education, and State Services Commission guidelines that limit pay rises for most other public employees.

"University councils need to change their focus so they are investing those staff and students who most need the money to feed their families and get by from day to day, rather than a group of vice-chancellors who already average more than $500,000 per year in remuneration," said Nanette Cormack.

"It hard to come up with a sane justification for why the richest public servant in New Zealand would be the vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland, earning $50,00 more than the head of Treasury."

ENDS