{"id":6385,"date":"2025-11-07T12:01:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T12:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/?p=6385"},"modified":"2025-12-05T15:46:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T15:46:07","slug":"unions-call-for-reduction-of-senior-management-pay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/news\/2025\/11\/07\/unions-call-for-reduction-of-senior-management-pay\/","title":{"rendered":"Unions call for reduction of senior management pay"},"content":{"rendered":"

New data reveals that seven out of eight senior managers at University of Aberdeen earned between \u00a3150,000 and \u00a3300,000 per year as of September.<\/p>\n

The Aberdeen University branches of three staff unions have expressed \u201cserious concern\u201d about the six-figure salaries paid to members of the university\u2019s Senior Management Team (SMT).<\/p>\n

Responding to a Freedom of Information request via What Do They Know<\/a>, University of Aberdeen shared SMT total salaries (comprised of salaries and allowances) as they were on 4 September 2025:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Role<\/b><\/td>\nTotal Salary (per annum)<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Principal & Vice-Chancellor<\/td>\n\u00a3295,000 \u2013 \u00a3300,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chief Financial Officer<\/td>\n\u00a3175,000 \u2013 \u00a3180,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vice-Principal (Education)<\/td>\n\u00a3175,000 \u2013 \u00a3180,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chief Operating Officer<\/td>\n\u00a3160,000 \u2013 \u00a3165,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vice-Principal (Global Engagement)<\/td>\n\u00a3155,000 \u2013 \u00a3160,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vice-Principal (Research)<\/td>\n\u00a3150,000 \u2013 \u00a3155,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Senior Vice-Principal (Acting)<\/td>\n\u00a3150,000 \u2013 \u00a3155,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chief Governance Officer and University Secretary (Acting)<\/td>\n\u00a3100,000 – \u00a3105,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This comes as a University-commissioned governance efficiency report<\/a> finds “power struggles” between staff and SMT, alongside a “toxic culture” at Senate meetings. Last week, Principal George Boyne retired early to make way for newly-appointed Principal Pete Edwards who has appointed new Vice-Principals.<\/p>\n

UNISON, Unite and the University and College Union (UCU) are \u201cnot surprised, but deeply disappointed\u201d by the combined salary bill of \u201capproximately \u00a31.6 million annually\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a shared press statement they wrote: \u201cWhile many University staff who teach and research face uncertainty about their jobs, the University\u2019s top managers \u2014 most of whom neither teach nor conduct research \u2014 continue to receive six-figure salaries. If Management is serious about reducing costs, they should look first to their own pay packets. A modest reduction in the salaries of the highest-paid could make a meaningful difference to the deficit and help protect the jobs of colleagues who deliver the University\u2019s core mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

UNISON, Unite and UCU Aberdeen highlight the \u201csteep\u201d pay differential between the lowest-paid staff and \u201coff-scale\u201d senior management pay. The University\u2019s entry salary for the lowest grade is \u00a324,554 per annum<\/a>. The six-figure salaries of eight senior managers means that many at the top earn four to six times, or more, than the lowest paid staff members.<\/p>\n

The contrast \u201cis raising questions\u201d amid financial pressure and proposed compulsory redundancies, said the three unions. They are calling on the University\u2019s senior management and governing body to:<\/p>\n