The Young Greens are launching a campaign to call on university managers to reduce the ratio between the highest and lowest paid workers on their campuses. The 'Fair Pay Campus' campaign aims to tackle pay inequality at universities and the higher education sector, and will be launching at York University on Wednesday 16th May with Spirit Level co-author Richard Wilkinson.
With the highest average top-to-bottom pay ratio in the public sector (at 15:1), campaigners argue that universities should be looking to achieve greater equality. Student campaigners are making four demands of their universities:
- To publish top-to-bottom pay ratios
- To work towards a 1:10 multiple
- To pledge to pay workers and contractors a 'living wage'
- To publish Vice Chancellor and senior management pay.
Lisa Camps, Young Greens Head of Campaigns said
"At a time of student fee hikes, public sector redundancies and cuts to university departments, increases in management pay are totally unacceptable. Vice Chancellor pay currently stands at around £200,000 and has been rising dramatically over the past decade. We estimate that if one university head cut their salary from £250,000 to £140,000, 49 minimum wage workers could be paid a living wage."
Event details:
16th May 7pm
w/122, Wentworth Building, University of York
If you would like to attend the launch, please contact Lisa Camps lisarachelcamps@gmail.com
07792407420
For more information see www.fairpaycampus.co.uk
Comment and interview available on request
Young Greens Media Enquiries:
07906083213
