LONDON, December 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Unite, UK's largest union, with the largest number of occupational groups in higher education, is calling for universities to end the two-tier system of pay and benefits between academic and support staff.

Responding to today's (Monday) publication of the UK Universities Higher Education Finance and Pay Data Review, Unite is urging that efforts to address the difference of terms and conditions between academic and support staff are stepped and an end brought to the upstairs, downstairs treatment of staff within higher education which has seen staff in some occupational groups earning salaries close to minimum wage levels.

Tony Britton from University of East London, and one of the Unite negotiators on the joint negotiating committee for higher education (JNCHES), commented: This Report is a serious bit of work assembling a large amount of valuable data. It also pinpoints the need to fill the gap in our knowledge of support staff pay. The Review shows recent improvements in pay levels through JNCHES negotiations. But it is important to see these in context. This snapshot of the past few years has to be set against the historical low pay levels in the sector. While cleaners, gardeners, catering and craft workers have moved away from earning around national minimum pay rates, getting paid less than GBP7 an hour is still a pittance. Employers need to move much further in rewarding the hidden army which keeps universities going.

Hugh Lewsley from Queens University Belfast, and also a Unite representative on the JNCHES, added: We need to stop the 'them and us' attitude within higher education. Although the single pay spine should break down barriers to progression and to equality, the 'upstairs, downstairs' treatments of some staff groups of staff who receive inferior conditions' still persists. Many support staff now face attacks on their pensions, for example whilst management grades have a better scheme.

Notes to editors

Unite is one of the main unions operating in the higher education sector. Unite is the only union in higher education with members in all occupational categories covered by the HE Finance and Pay Data Review.

For further information contact Pauline Doyle on +44(0)7976-832-861