Controversial plans to introduce performance pay for academic staff at City University have been given the go-ahead by its ruling council despite union objections.
The council approved the performance-related pay review scheme on Thursday night as a row between CityU's management and staff association over how it should operate descended into a war of words.
University managers have also agreed to a general pay increase from January 2011 for all staff who reach a satisfactory level of performance under the scheme - subject to the 'financial health' of the university at the time.
The mechanism, which is due to begin on July 1, will make all pay increases and allowances for academic staff of assistant professor rank and above contingent upon annual reviews of individual performance.
Academics will be assessed across three criteria: teaching, research, and professional activities and services, under a weighted formula drawn up in a working group led by CityU finance director Gabriel Chan Sai-man.
Departments will draw up their own assessment criteria and standards in consultation with staff against benchmarks in the field to decide how academics will progress up the university's pay scale.