The lowest-paid staff at the University of Otago are set to benefit most from the institution's offer of a universal $1000 pay rise.
The offer, of a $1000 pay rise back-dated to July last year and then another $1000 pay rise this July, has come during the latest round of collective bargaining between the university and the five unions which represent staff.
After negotiations began last year, union members rejected an offer of a one-off $1000 lump-sum payment, which would not have been added to staff members' salaries.
For a medical or dental professor at the top of the pay scale, who earned $196,882, a $1000 offer would represent a 0.5% pay rise.
For the lowest-paid general staff, who earned $28,117, the offer would represent a 3.6% pay rise.
Tertiary Education Union organiser Shaun Scott said the new offer was much better and early indications were staff would ratify it in the next few weeks.
''We think that in the environment we are in this is a pretty good deal,'' Mr Scott said.
Another positive from the offer was that lower-paid staff would be the ones who benefited most.
On the ''whole'', higher-paid staff members - for instance professors - supported the deal.
''There is a broader understanding both among [union] members and employers [about] the whole issue of living wage and inequality.''
The offer, if agreed, would be a ''small step'' towards addressing those issues.
The university has earned praise from Mr Scott, who said figures showing only 20
staff dismissals in 10 years was reflective of ''good processes'' at the institution.
Mr Scott was commenting on figures released to the Otago Daily Times by the university under the Official Information Act showing 12 general staff and eight academic staff had been dismissed in a 10-year period up to last year.
The university did not release a breakdown of the reason for dismissals, but said they were ''broadly'' for inappropriate behaviour, dishonesty, poor performance or frustration of contract.
Mr Scott said given the number of staff employed at the university - 3752 as of 2013 - it was pleasing only 20 had been dismissed in that time.
That more had not been dismissed was indicative of ''good processes'' which were often developed with the various unions which represented university staff.
''I think it indicates on the whole a pretty positive relationship between the unions and the employer and an ability to resolve things at a lower level before things get to that sort of situation.''
