According to Jo Grady, general secretary of that organization with around 120,000 academics and support staff, the European country is experiencing more than a decade of austerity, which means reducing payments and cutting resources.

A new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) revealed a sharp drop in real terms in teachers’ pay and the retirement of almost half of the staff, just three years into their tenure.

Official data show that approximately 4,000 workers of several higher education institutions left their posts in the last six months, following the proposal of the Association of Universities for a pay of only 2,5%, well below the inflationary rate.

The union leader demanded a sustained investment in the sector with the purpose of improving recruitment, retention and the search for stability, where students and professionals are priority issues at the campuses.

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