UoB announces deal to eliminate gender pay gap

18 months of negotiations between Senior Management and the UCU at UoB have resulted in a new ambitious plan to eliminate the gender pay gap currently at the University. The issue was first raised in March 2018.

The current median pay gap between men and women at UoB is 13.6 per cent, which is just below the national average of 15.1 per cent.

The UCU and Bristol University have outlined a series of steps to tackle this gap, including; increasing opportunities for progression, greater flexibility with job share opportunities, creating funding for schemes allowing research staff to continue work whilst between grants as well as appropriate training for recruitment staff.

This announcement comes following strikes in November which called for increased discussions over pensions, the casualisation of contracts and increasing inequality.

The Vice-President of Bristol UCU, Suzy Cheeke said: "This landmark agreement shows what can be achieved when universities work with us to tackle a problem head on. We now have a series of measures in place to deliver real positive change for women at the University of Bristol."

UCU General Secretary, Jo Grady stated: "Instead of seeking to mitigate the seriousness of issues such as pay equality, casualisation and workloads, institutions across the sector should be looking to follow Bristol's example.

"Universities now need to put pressure on their representatives to provide firm proposals that address all the issues at the heart of the current disputes."

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of Bristol, Professor Judith Squires, said: "This agreement with UCU signifies our commitment to eliminating the gender pay gap.

"The University of Bristol and UCU have been working together on this issue since 2018 and have made real progress since then with new initiatives to support women's career development and a new academic promotions framework."

The University has not provided a clear deadline as to when these reforms will be brought into place. However, this marks a serious move to end gender inequality at the University of Bristol.