Female academics blocked from senior pay grades

Research by lecturers' union NATFHE shows that women academics are paid 16% less than men on average and that the reason is because they are not being promoted to the higher grades.

The NATFHE research shows that the gender pay gap widens with age, from 3% for 21-30 year olds rising to 14% for women aged 51-60. Women also fare worse in medicine, dentistry, health and science, where they are disproportionately represented in traditionally "female" subjects, which are less well paid. Over 20% of medical and health professors are women but they earn £12,589 less than men.

The research also found that union-negotiated pay scales help to reduce discrimination, but discrimination is worse when universities make pay decisions. Tom Wilson, head of NATFHE's universities' department said: "When universities have discretion to set pay rates, discrimination creeps in. Vice-chancellors have known of this problem for years - unions, government and funding councils have all urged action. There is a real danger that female academics will finally lose patience and take universities to the courts unless the problem is resolved".

The union is calling on the government to provide the £81 million in funding needed to close the pay gap - an additional 2.3% on the university pay bill.