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[republocrat]

HCT puts lecturers' salary rises on hold
Melanie Swan Sep 7, 2011

ABU DHABI // The UAE's biggest federal university has scrapped this year's annual staff pay rise after deep cuts to its budget.

The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) has been in the red since 2009. The colleges are this year reportedly working with a Dh900 million budget but are likely to spend at least Dh1.1 billion.

Last year the institution, with 17 campuses in the UAE, scrapped its annual merit pay rises of 2 per cent.

Now its lecturers have lost the 4 per cent cost of living pay rise due last month. Lecturers at HCT earn an average monthly salary of about Dh20,000.

"We've not even been notified about this and we're just expected to accept it," said one staff member in Abu Dhabi, on condition of anonymity.

"They have the attitude that if we don't like it we should leave. We are treated as unskilled, disposable labour and people have had enough.

"In the time I have been with Higher Colleges of Technology, we have seen a steady decline in the pay, bonuses and working conditions at HCT."

Dr Tayeb Kamali, the vice chancellor of HCT, said the increases had been cancelled but claimed the packages still exceeded those at similar institutions in the UAE and the region.

Dr Kamali said this year's priority was equipment and resources for the colleges.

"It's just a priority of expenditure this year," he said. "It's nothing to do with us not having the budget."

When finalising pay increases, HCT studies the cost of living and predicts its available funds.

After receiving Dh333m less than its calculated budget needs - a shortfall of more than a quarter - for this academic year, HCT turned away more than 2,500 applicants.

While this was partly due to the colleges raising entry standards, sources claimed the lack of funds made it impossible to accept all applicants, as it has done previously.

HCT has places for 5,533 students across its campuses this year, more than 30 per cent fewer than last year's 8,024. The other two federal universities offered more places.

"Things have been getting tougher and tougher over recent years in terms of budget," said one staff member, who has taught at HCT for eight years and asked to remain anonymous.

"We've been given more students per class, especially for those teachers in Fujairah who have absorbed large numbers of foundation [remedial learning to bring students up to entry level] students from UAE University, yet with no additional pay to compensate for much longer hours."

Another, who has taught there for 12 years, said: "There is a feeling that the management don't actually care what we think. We are never informed or consulted on major changes and yet they expect us to keep quiet and simply be grateful for having a job.

"It's not the way to treat people who have been loyal to the institution for many years and contributed something valuable to the society."

Dr Kamali said he hoped staff would understand the priority change this year.

"It's only one year," he said. "Only two or three years ago we gave 15 per cent to account for the increased cost in living so we do treat our staff well with very good packages."

HCT, which specialises in vocational courses and training, has struggled for cash since 2005 and began overdraft borrowing in 2009.

The situation is similar at Zayed University, another of the three federal institutions. It has also had its budget cut this year, by Dh32m to 8 per cent below the required amount calculated by experts at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

In January, staff at Zayed University received pay rises of 2 per cent after three and a half years without an increase and despite contracts that promise an annual 5 per cent rise.

UAE University will not be freezing pay despite a Dh63m - 4.5 per cent - funding shortfall.

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http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/hct-puts-lecturers-salary-rises-on-hold

[Middle East Beast]

The quotes from those members of the HCT academic staff speak volumes.

That Dh.20000 figure seems high unless you include the cost of housing.

MEB

[It's Scary!]

Dear Readers:

Always remember that all "lecturers" are not created equally. Content lecturers get paid much more preciously (not that they don't deserve it...have you ever seen an Emirati try to perform simple Maths?) than their lowly-regarded-by-management EFLers!

It's a farce that keeps rearing it's UGLY head!

[Kally Wally]

So the news is finally out thanks to the National.

20,000 p/m, that's quite a bit more than I and most of my 'podmates' are getting.

Why can't they just summon up the cajones to at least drop us an email about this?

I ain't going anywhere for now, got too much invested in this gig and I've got the rep of being a bit of an HCT apologist but man it sure does feel like we're expendable.

[It's Scary!]

[johnslat]

Dear It's Scary,

"It's no wonder why I avoided his clammy handshake when I was a new hire!"

What? You mean you didn't shake with the sheikh?

Well, no great sheikhs, I suppose.

Regards,
John

[Middle East Beast]

I'd be surprised if the powers-at-be say anything about this. The Sheikh will make his grand appearance (he'll be fashionably late, of course), parade around the stage, and bask in the standing ovation he'll receive from the admiring throng. He'll speak about all the grand plans for HCT to take over the world of academia and how HCT is the best thing since sliced bread. Then he'll go to lunch.

Words can't describe how thankful I am that I won't be there.

Whoopie!

MEB

[It's Scary!]

[Eisenhorn]

As Mark Twain aptly said, "There are lies, damn lies and statistics." While it is possible that the AVERAGE salary at HCT for faculty is 20K AED per month, it is lying using statistics.

The vast majority of all faculty at HCT make much less than 20K (everyone who came in with me at my school is making between 14 and 17 per month). When you take an AVERAGE any outliers will cause the average to swing either up or down. I know of several folks (all newer hires, within the last 2 to 3 years) who were given around 20K to start... But those of us who started before them were in the range I have mentioned.

We were told by HR that there wasn't anything to be done about that, unless we wanted to resign and then reapply, get rehired ... Otherwise, we should just put in our time and get that 4% pay raise per year... because it adds up.

Well now we see what that is worth. And if you figure in the double digit inflation, we are actually LOSING money compared to last year.

Personally, I wonder if there is the possibility of a class action style lawsuit. In the policies and procedures manual which was updated Feb 2011, it states that ALL faculty will receive an annual pay increase. This is unlike our contracts which state that we MAY receive an annual increase.

go figure.

[Middle East Beast]

[veiledsentiments]

It depends on how it is stated in the contract. Take it to a labor lawyer and see. Manuals are meaningless in the courts. I suspect that there is a clause somewhere in the contract that lets them make any changes that they want...

VS

[It's Scary!]

Emirati labor laws do not apply to government employees...

It's stated in its own "General Provisions"!

[Maria Redwine]

Thanks to the people who forwarded me this ground-breaking article.
I used this article in my educational management seminar this afternoon in order to get our students to prioritize:

Yes, the article allows a certain amount of interpretation, but all the analysts in my group agreed that the educational policy maker quoted in this article ranked people the lowest. We then had a very lively discussion on the place of people in organizations, and in particular of teachers in educational organizations.

My students at the end wished to congratulate the vice-chancellor for his honest admission that teachers were no longer worth the annual investment of a tiny percentage increment. amounting to a token of his recognition of their existence and needs.

My more critical students in the seminar were also encouraged by the HCT admission that the colleges were financially a sinking ship.
I'm looking forward to further articles like this to help my dissertation analysis of people and policies in Gulf- Middle East Education.

[veiledsentiments]

[eha]

[quote="Maria Redwine:

'....the educational policy maker quoted in this article ranked people the lowest.... '


No surprise there.


'..the place of people in organizations, and in particular of teachers in educational organizations....'



You'd have to be pretty naive not to be aware of that, since the 1980s.



'...people and policies in Gulf- Middle East Education..'


Can't be confined to the Gulf; WHO DID THEY LEARN THEIR POLICIES FROM?