UCU condemns continuing gender pay gap

Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics, show the average gross pay of female full time teaching professionals is 17.2% less (2006: 16.4%) than that of male colleagues in higher education and 11.1% less (2006: 11.2%) in further education.

In universities this means women lecturers earn on average £150 a week less than male lecturers. In FE colleges, women lecturers earn on average £76 a week less than male lecturers.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'Women remain under-represented in senior and better paid positions in both further and higher education.

'The pay gap for women lecturers in colleges is depressingly static and in universities the situation is even worsening despite promises from employers, in last year's pay deal, that they would address this.

'There is clearly still a long way to go before the opportunities for career advancement and better rewards can be deemed equal for women and men teaching professionals. That is why UCU will renew its pressure for regular, comprehensive, equal pay audits involving UCU, to investigate inequalities in every university and HE institution.'