University pay lags behind

EDUCATION

Pay for university employees from porters to professors lags well behind the going rate for comparable jobs in both the public and private sectors, says research published today. If benefits such as pensions or cars are counted, the gap is even wider.

The report, by Hay Management Consultants and reviewed by Lord Borrie, chairman of Labour's social justice commission, has been sent to Sir Ron Dearing who is reviewing higher education for the Government.

It shows that the highest earning academics are paid 70 per cent of private market rates and between 77 and 79 per cent of public rates. The equivalent figures for those in the middle are 79 per cent and 81 per cent. Average pay for professors in old universities is around pounds 40,000 and for senior lecturers around pounds 32,000, the report shows. Academics' pay in new universities is lower.

Some manual workers in old universities are paid only 63 per cent of market rates. Overall, their pay is better in new universities. Tom Wilson of the Association of University Teachers said: "There are postgraduates teaching on undergraduate courses who are earning less than a shelf-filler at Safeways."