In brief (if you don’t have much time)
The Imperial Joint Trade Unions (JTU) have written to the University Negotiating Team (UNT) to raise serious concerns about the College’s handling of the 2018 Pay Benchmarking Working Group recommendations, the lack of transparency in its pay strategy, and the wider pay dispute that has led to strike action this term.
In 2018, staff were told their views would help shape principles for fair pay. The Working Group that followed recommended that pay for academic, research and teaching staff be benchmarked to the upper quartile of national comparators and the median of international comparators. These recommendations, informed by a wide staff consultation, were never shared with staff and have since been quietly ignored.
Instead, the College has adopted a weaker “median to upper quartile” position, reducing pay benchmarks and the value of salaries relative to comparator institutions. The JTU’s letter highlights contradictions and misinformation in the College’s account of events and makes two formal requests:
- An independent external investigation into how and why the 2018 recommendations were set aside; and
- An immediate return to negotiations with a significantly improved pay offer.
These demands form part of the JTU’s wider call for a fair settlement in the current Imperial pay dispute. The College has not yet responded to either request.
Read on for a deeper dive
In 2018, the then President launched a review to ensure that salaries were “commensurate with our position as a world-leading institution.” Staff were invited to contribute, and the Pay Benchmarking Working Group—chaired by Professor Nigel Brandon—was established to guide the process. The Working Group concluded that pay should be benchmarked to the upper quartile of national comparators and the median of international comparators. These principles were designed to keep Imperial’s pay competitive and to demonstrate respect for staff contributions.
However, the recommendations were never disclosed to staff, and management has since claimed—falsely—that its current approach is “consistent” with the 2018 principles. After being challenged by the unions, senior management admitted that only some principles had been adopted, with Professor Brandon claiming the Provost’s Board had decided in July 2021 not to implement the recommendations in full. When asked for evidence, he deferred to the College’s lead on pay, Audrey Fraser, who asserted instead that the decision was taken in April 2021.
The cited Board summary does not support either account; it simply records approval to continue and expand benchmarking work, not to weaken the standards. Likewise, a July 2021 statement from the then Provost reaffirmed the use of international benchmarks, entirely consistent with the 2018 principles. Despite multiple requests, no formal record of any decision to disregard the Working Group’s recommendations has been provided.
Errors, contradictions, and credibility
The JTU has also raised concerns about major errors in calculating the College’s median benchmark, which overstated Imperial’s relative pay levels by up to 35%. These flawed figures were used to justify cutting real pay, with this year’s 2% imposed increase falling far below inflation.
The Provost told Heads of Department that the benchmarking error “has not materially affected our position,” while the President told Felix that the data was “not so flawed that it would change our offer.” These statements confirm that no corrective action will be taken as long as pay remains above the median—a stance that treats further erosion down to that level as “immaterial.”
Why this matters
The JTU believes these failures reveal a serious breakdown of governance, transparency, and integrity. The 2018 consultation was presented as a genuine effort to rebuild trust; instead, staff input has been disregarded while the College continues to prioritise major infrastructure and capital projects over addressing the long-term erosion of staff pay.
These issues are not separate from the ongoing pay dispute: they are central to it. The erosion of pay, the refusal to negotiate meaningfully, and the lack of accountability over pay benchmarking all form part of the same pattern.
Consultation must be meaningful, governance must be accountable, and staff deserve pay that reflects their contribution to Imperial’s success. Misleading accounts and professions of concern are no substitute for material action.
For more information about the ongoing Imperial pay dispute and recent strike action,