A step in the right direction: Commission responds to concerns about salary imbalances

The Guild welcomes the Commission’s announcement to address the salary imbalances for researchers in countries where a significant salary gap exists in relation to a number of high-performing countries. We welcome the enhanced flexibility with which additional remuneration can now be provided to outstanding researchers, bringing their salaries closer to internationally competitive levels. Even after this change, significant and unacceptable differences in income remain. We recognise that the question of researcher salaries and their conditions are complex issues, and can only fully be addressed on a country-by-country basis, with full consideration given to all conditions affecting researchers, including institutional autonomy, career prospects, and the freedom of the researcher. We welcome the Commission’s positive response to the demands made by us and others to recognise the existence of salary imbalances that pose real challenges for many European universities. And we look forward to working with the Commission and with Parliament to develop further mechanisms to overcome the barriers to excellence across different national systems.

Published Mar. 1, 2017 12:17 PM - Last modified Mar. 2, 2017 8:31 AM