By Cheryl Wood

PROTEST ACTION at St Andrews University will be over in time for students’ exams—if staff accept a pay offer made yesterday.

The university has proposed a three-year deal for lecturers and academic-related staff and the Association of University Teachers St Andrews branch has recommended it be accepted.

Members of the union are to be balloted and the result will be announced tomorrow.

Lecturers at the Fife university held a one-day walk-out in March, have boycotted assessments and have refused to invigilate at exams as part of nationwide industrial action.

Unions rejected a “derisory” offer from employers of a 3% pay rise from August followed by a further 3% from next year.

The local offer would, however, see an increase of 5% from August, followed by 3.5% increases in 2007 and 2008.

The university also pledged to match a more substantial increase in pay over that period should a higher settlement be reached nationally.

If the offer is accepted the university expects a return to normal working, ensuring the smooth running of exams, which begin on May 13.

John Ball, representative of the AUT St Andrews branch, said, “We don’t think we will get a better offer than this.

“Students are about to sit their exams. We have had great support from them up until now and if the university is making a local offer the least we can do for the students is to ballot and see if members are prepared to accept it.”

The university described its offer as “attractive and reasonable” and a statement issued said, “In making the offer, the university took into account the rights of all St Andrews students to complete their exams and to graduate as expected, the rights of staff to seek an appropriate rise in salary, the shared wish of local AUT and management to seek a local solution and the importance of maintaining the excellent relationship the university enjoys with its staff and students.

“The university’s effort with local AUT to seek a local resolution of a dispute which did not begin in St Andrews and will not be resolved by what happens in St Andrews is a responsible and appropriate institutional response to the need to protect the interests of all students and staff.”