Edinburgh Uni spent £26k to help the new Vice Chancellor move from Hong Kong, yet can’t afford to pay staff a decent pension

This year Edinburgh Uni welcomed Peter Mathieson, our new Vice Chancellor, who has received a 33 per cent pay increase from his predecessor, despite approximately 80 per cent of students who attended the University of Hong Kong, where he previously worked, claiming that 'he didn't effectively protect student's academic freedom or understand the needs of students or staff. '

Apparently a standard wage of £342k wasn't enough for Peter Mathieson to move without additional money from the university as £26k was spent on his moving costs – which involved moving his furniture, belongings and pets to Edinburgh from Hong Kong. The money doesn't even stop there, as Mathieson was also paid another £42k in lieu of pension contributions.

Speaking of pensions, amid all this our lecturers and staff members have decided to strike for up to 14 days because of proposed changes to their pensions.

Paws off Pensions, by keeping Paws off of Expensive flights.

Mathieson talks about seeking a solution "which remains affordable and sustainable both for individuals and universities", yet the amount of money he is receiving this year suggests the opposite, showing a huge disconnection already.

The tuition fees undergraduates pay vary from around £1,800, £9,250 and a massive £23,000 a year dependent on nationality and course, so when you next consider whether you should cross the picket ask yourself what your money should be spent on: world class qualified staff who've spent years getting a PhD, or a dog?

This article was amended at 11:27am on 28/02/18. The original version of the article stated that £26,000 was spent purely on the costs of moving Peter Mathieson's pets. This was not true, that figure included all of his moving costs including his personal belongings and furniture.