Cambridge University will withhold 50% of pay from staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott, but "reserves the right to review its position", with deductions potentially increasing up to 100%.

In an interview with Varsity, pro-vice-chancellor for education Bhaskar Vira discussed the university’s recent decision, announced earlier this week, to impose pay deductions on staff engaging with the marking and assessment boycott.

The university has stated that it will withhold pay at the “lesser rate of 50%” for each day that an employee engages with the boycott.

When asked whether the university could commit to maintaining deductions at 50%, the pro-VC refused, stating that “both sides reserve the right to escalate.” Instead, deductions could be increased in the future to up to 100% of staff’s daily pay.

The marking and assessment boycott that is currently being enacted in universities across the country is ‘action short of a strike’ - meaning staff are continuing many normal work duties.

Normally, the university does not deduct pay for action short of a strike. However, in the case of the boycott, the university has told staff that it will not accept the “partial performance of contractual duties”.

According to pro-VC Vira, the “unusual” decision to make pay deductions has been based on the “potential scale of the impact” of the boycott and because “finding alternative markers might come with additional cost”.

In order to determine when academics are “engaging” in the boycott, staff members have been asked to declare the days that they are participating.

The pro-VC emphasised his view that the imposed deductions are a “proportionate response”, and that reserving the right to increase pay cuts is “standard practice”.

“The unions have the right to escalate their action. They’ve said that very clearly,” he told Varsity. “I think likewise the employers reserve the right to respond.”

Higher education institutions across the country have approached the marking and assessment boycott differently, with some universities differing from Cambridge’s decision. The University of Sheffield and the University of Portsmouth, amongst others, have started with full 100% pay deductions. Meanwhile, London Met and the Ulster University among others, have decided against any punitive deductions at all for the boycott.

When asked about the different approaches taken at other universities, the pro-VC stated that "it would not be appropriate to comment on other institutions".

UCU General Secretary Jo Grady described pay deductions implemented across the higher education sector as “immoral”, “aimed at intimidating” staff, and “about attempting to break the resolve” of staff committed to the action.