The five unions involved in higher education ¨C the University and College Union, Unite, Unison, GMB and EIS - which represents staff at some Scottish universities ¨C will meet the universities¡¯ representative, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association today after asking for an above-inflation pay claim for the coming academic year.

The unions did not specify an exact figure for the 2013-14 national pay claim, but say next year¡¯s increase should at least match inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index (RPI), which has consistently been above 3 per cent over the past three years.

Unions are also asking for an unspecified ¡°catch-up¡± rise to compensate for four years of below-inflation pay rises, which they say have cut the value of members¡¯ pay by 13 per cent over this period.

¡°Our members are being asked to work harder, deliver excellence in teaching and research, pay more for smaller pensions and, in return, take a pay cut,¡± said Michael MacNeil, national head of higher education.

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Higher education staff were awarded a 1 per cent national pay rise in 2012-13, which followed three successive rises below 1 per cent in previous years.

Most union members voted to refuse the 1 per cent offer last year, but only a minority at most unions later voted to support full strike action in protest. The national pay offer was then accepted.

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Other demands made in next year¡¯s pay claim include a call to scrap the bottom two points of the national pay spine - ?13,486 and ?13,839 ¨C to ensure all staff working within higher education earn at least the ?7.45-an-hour ¡°living wage¡± (?8.55 an hour for those working in London).

Negotiators are also calling for the minimum London weighting allowance, which varies between ?2,134 to more than ?3,000 a year at different institutions, to increase to 4,000 ¨C a rise that could be phased in over four years.

They also want the national pay spine to be extended beyond point 51, its highest point ¨C a move to address the growing pay gap between senior staff and professors, whose pay is uncapped by national pay bands, and rank-and-file academic staff.

Unions are also calling for agreements on anti-casualisation, disability leave, workload and working hours, redundancy processes and measures to address a gender pay gap.

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They say the measures are affordable given the ¡°stronger than projected¡± surpluses recorded in June 2012, falling staff costs as a percentage of income figures and pay rises awarded to senior staff and vice-chancellors in 2011-12.

A Ucea spokesman said it will discuss the claims at an initial ¡°context-setting meeting¡± before negotiations begin on 23 April.

¡°Employers will also present trade union colleagues with a statement that sets out the broad position and issues facing sector institutions this year,¡± he said.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com