MPs and councillors have criticised the for not paying the to dozens of its workforce.
Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe and Coun Stuart Stacey attended a rally at the university today amid claims about 350 of its staff are paid below the independently-agreed 拢8.25 per hour.
According to Unison, catering, cleaning and library learning support assistants earn below the living wage.
Labour MP Mr McCabe said the university had intimated it pays the living wage but does not.
He said: 鈥淚 support a living wage and think all decent employers should be encouraged to pay the living wage. It is a disgrace that the Chancellor has sought to undermine the concept by deliberately using the language of the living wage for his second rate proposals.鈥
Coun Stuart Stacey, speaking on behalf of Birmingham City Council, added: 鈥淭he council is committed to making Birmingham a Living Wage city, giving all our residents a fair share of the wealth we create here.
鈥淲hile we make paying it compulsory for our contractors and grant recipients, we call on all progressive private and public sector organisations to reap the benefits of a stable and motivated workforce that adopting it voluntarily can bring.鈥
More than 1,000 city council staff had a pay rise rubber-stamped on Monday after the voluntary living wage increased from 拢7.85 to 拢8.25.
In a statement, a University of Birmingham spokesperson said: 鈥淭he university takes its responsibilities as an employer very seriously. Support staff on the very lowest rates of pay currently earn 拢7.85 per hour, well above the 拢6.70 National Minimum Wage and the new National Living Wage, which is being introduced from next April for workers aged 25 and over, that will begin at 拢7.20 an hour. Our pay rates are revised on August 1 each year and, for the past few years, we have matched the Living Wage at that point. It is not possible to revisit our rates mid-cycle because of the knock-on consequences of what is a relatively steep rise.
鈥淭he University employs more people than any private sector employer in Birmingham and we are proud of our record of employment and remuneration. In addition to pay, all members of staff enjoy generous holiday, sick pay and pension arrangements.鈥
Professor Carl Chinn MBE addressed the rally at the university.
He said: 鈥淓ach day, senior managers who are paid substantial sums of money look across to Old Joe, named after Joseph Chamberlain, but how many of them think of their responsibility to their low-paid fellow workers and the belief that Joseph Chamberlain had that a great town owed a responsibility to all of its people, irrespective of their wealth.
鈥淚t is more than time for the university to pay at least the living wage and to commit itself to truly become an institution that is of Birmingham rather than one that happens just to be in Birmingham.鈥
According to Unison, the university brings in more than 拢528 million per year and it would cost less than 拢1 million to be living wage compliant.
It claims 128 university staff are paid between 拢100,000 per year and 拢220,000 per year at the university.
Unison spokesperson Lianne Brooks said: 鈥淟eading universities such as the University of Birmingham have a civil and moral duty to pay the living wage to all their staff.鈥
