Abstract:

Persistent salary inequality continues to impact a significant percentage of employees at the public Mexican Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) [1], particularly affecting administrative workers, many professors, and others who struggle to meet basic needs. While some employees enjoy high salaries, a significant number still grapple with financial challenges. The median net monthly salaries for all UAM employees during the first quarter of the years 2018 to 2022 were 11,735.12, 12,885.86, 11,389.88, 13,250.27, and 14,086.45 Mexican pesos, respectively. The maximum monthly net salary reported by the UAM for each of the first quarters from 2018 to 2022 was 308,792.00, 356,089.96, 238,260.96, 462,692.52, and 216,414.78 Mexican pesos, respectively. An analysis of the first quarter of the years 2018 to 2022 shows that the monthly median net salary of all UAM employees reported by the UAM has decreased in real terms by 1.57% during those years, while the national median salary of all Mexican employees enrolled in the private and part of the public sector increased in real terms by 28% [2]. Professors' salaries consist of a gross base salary, with a maximum of 33,098.86 Mexican pesos for titular professors this year. Another part is obtained mainly through scholarships, incentives, and compensations. However, scholarships and incentives have not increased since 2019, and one of those incentives has decreased by 80% this year because the amount for scholarships and incentives is set unilaterally by the general rector of the UAM. Therefore, professors cannot necessarily ensure that their salary will be maintained even in current pesos. The UAM's salary policy could lead professors to seek other sources of income elsewhere, including other universities, potentially deteriorating the quality of education offered by the UAM. Therefore, the UAM should reconsider its salary policy. Public universities, including UAM, should provide monthly reports on their official portals, revealing net salaries that exceed those of the President of the Republic of Mexico. These reports should comprehensively outline the components contributing to employees' salaries, encompassing details such as base salary, scholarships, incentives, compensations, and other factors. The roots of salary inequality lie, among other factors, in diverse compensations beyond the base salary, including the extra payment received by functionaries for two years after leaving their positions and the fact that the UAM has started to hire many temporary professors who cannot access scholarships and incentives. Universities should disclose the ratio of the highest net monthly salary to the median and mode of all employee salaries, accompanied by gender-related information. Also, on its webpage, UAM should quarterly report the number of temporary professors it hires. The transparency recommended in public Mexican institutions such as the UAM could be mandated through regulations stated by the Mexican legislative power. The analysis of the UAM salary policy, which has led to disparities in the salaries of its employees, will be presented, as well as its impact on its academic future.

References:
[1] Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Accessed 24 November, 2023. Retrieved from www.uam.mx
[2] Acción ciudadana frente a la pobreza, “Ir a la raíz de la pobreza”, Accessed 24 November, 2023. Retrieved from https://frentealapobreza.mx/ir-a-la-raiz-de-la-pobreza/

Keywords:

Higher education, salary inequality, policies.