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The chances of agreeing a pay deal next week are "less than 50-50", say academic unions who hit stalemate in talks on new structures this week. The unions claim that employers are trying to build in too much local discretion for vice-chancellors to set pay outside the national agreement and that they are trying to put too many "hoops and hurdles" in new career paths being negotiated as part of this year's pay deal. At the same time, employers have given no indication of what sort of overall rise will be offered this year.