The Universities and Colleges Employers Association proposed the deal yesterday at a meeting with the sector¡¯s five unions: the GMB, the Educational Institute of Scotland, Unison, Unite and the University and College Union.

Even for staff on the lowest rung of the national pay spine ¨C which starts at ?13,203 a year ¨C the ?100 lump sum would amount to a rise of just 0.8 per cent.

The unions had lodged a collective claim for an increase in line with retail prices index inflation ¨C currently at 5.3 per cent ¨C ¡°or a lump sum, whichever the greater¡±.

A UCU spokesman described the offer as ¡°disappointing given the rising cost of living faced by university staff¡± and said that pay would be high on the agenda at the union¡¯s annual Congress this weekend.

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The ?100 proposal comes after a 0.4 per cent offer earlier this year (still not accepted by the UCU or the EIS) and a 0.5 per cent deal the previous year.

Mike Robinson, national education officer for Unite, said: ¡°Unite rejects the offer. It is a below-inflation offer for the third year running and as such represents a 16 per cent decrease in salary in real terms.

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¡°The lump sum offer of ?100, while well short of real needs, is something we would encourage Ucea to improve upon. There are some desperately low-paid staff and a decent lump sum offer would be welcome.¡±

A spokesman for Ucea said the offer was ¡°in addition to incremental rises (2.9 per cent) that many staff are likely to receive¡±.

But the unions believe that increments should not be considered as pay rises and few of the sector¡¯s lowest-paid workers receive them.

The Ucea spokesman said: ¡°The context for discussions includes the pay freeze for the majority of public-sector employees, the challenging future arising from significant changes to funding, the awaited White Paper on higher education for England and austerity measures in the devolved administrations.¡±

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john.morgan@tsleducation.com