Staff left ‘horrified’ following Edinburgh University’s principal’s five figure pay rise
His total pay now sits at around £438,000 – up five per cent from last year
Sir Peter Mathieson, Edinburgh University’s principal and vice chancellor, has been awarded a “near £20,000 pay rise”.
Vice chancellor Mathieson was already the highest paid vice chancellor in Scotland, earning a total pay package of £418,000 in 2023, according to The Scotsman.
Despite the vice chancellor’s five figure pay rise, university staff were told that there would be a reduction in “our spending in all areas” in response to the “severity” of the funding crisis in the sector.
According to The Scotsman, the university did not comment on the exact value of the pay rise. However, a five per cent increase, which was awarded to all university staff last year, would indicate a base pay rise of £17,400, and an increase in pension supplements takes the total to around £20,000.
Professor Mathieson refused to take pay rises in 2019,2020 and 2022, however a three per cent rise was awarded in 2023.
The principal has been under fire for having the costs of his Regent Terrace mansion covered, including utility bills, as well as for regularly using university credit cards to finance five-star hotels, private chauffeurs and business class flights.
Sophia Woodman, president of the Edinburgh branch of the University and College Union (UCU), told The Scotsman: “To be honest, I think most staff members will be horrified. Does Mathieson have to deal with the cost-of-living crisis when he has a salary over £400,000, a free house, free utilities?”.
In 2022 and 2023, staff were involved in a long-running pay dispute with the university, engaging in strike action and organising a marking boycott which led to some students graduating with no degree classifications.
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Sophia continues: “I think it is just really out of proportion to think that he requires the same pay rise as people who have had their salaries declining in real terms for more than 15 years.
“And I think people will be particularly horrified at this moment, given that the university imposed a 2.5 per cent across the board budget cut on all aspects of the university this summer, when people had already made their plans for the academic year – it is creating real difficulties for many of my colleagues, increasing already chronic levels of over-work.
“There is kind of a disconnect here over what is good for him and what staff at this institution are being subjected to.”.
Sir Peter Mathieson has faced criticism from student groups over a number of pressing issues including the screening of Adult Human Female which has been labelled as “blatantly transphobic” by Gender Liberation, as well as over the handling of demands from students to divest from companies with alleged ties to Israel and the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
Last year, the Student Council of the Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA) produced a motion to call for Mathieson’s resignation, it received a 95 per cent vote to pass following criticism from students about the “disgustingly high” salaries of the university’s senior leadership team.
Decisions surrounding pay rises for the principal are made in January by the university’s remuneration committee – a five per cent rise was “discussed and approved” by four members of the committee this January.
A university spokesperson told The Scotsman: “Salary increases for the university’s senior leadership team are awarded in arrears, and are discussed and approved in the January remuneration committee following the year in which the rest of our staff receive their increase.
“In this case, the five per cent relates to the 2022/23 academic year and is the same five per cent UCEA [Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association] pay increase that was awarded to all staff and paid in two installments in 2023, with the final increase in August 2023.
“The 2.5 per cent UCEA pay increase that was announced this year will be reviewed at remuneration committee in January 2025, which is when the principal’s pay increase would be decided.”.
Featured image via University of Edinburgh.
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