YORKSHIRE'S universities will suffer an escalating 'brain drain' if controversial pay proposals go ahead, the Association of University Teachers (AUT) has warned.

The AUT believes that up to 2,000 academics could leave the UK each year if a pay offer by employers' is implemented.

Union officials are urging their 47,000 members to support strike action and vote "yes" in the current postal ballot, due to close on Wednesday.

If members are if favour, the AUT hopes to bring higher education to a standstill, in partnership with the National Union of Students, for the week of February 23.

AUT Yorkshire official Martin Machon said: "We sincerely believe we have made a very strong case, to our members, for industrial action. However, we are a democratic organisation and undoubtedly some members will have decided to vote against our strong recommendations.

"If those who are against strike action win the day, we can anticipate that, in the very near future, around 2,000 academics will be leaving this country every year - with many going from institutions in Yorkshire."

Figures produced by an AUT study show that US professors earn 47.5 per cent more than their UK counterparts, with US senior lecturers earning 35 per cent more, and rank-and-file US lecturers 42 per cent.

The number of academics leaving the UK higher education system for the EU and US has risen by more than 50 per cent in the past five years.

Updated: 11:05 Monday, February 09, 2004