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The comparison of academics' salaries with those of other professionals is welcome. But in this, and the story "V-cs start to dock pay" (May 12), you follow the Universities and Colleges Employers'

Association line and include existing annual increments in the pay increase.

One should not include standard annual increments when measuring increases for a whole salary scale. One should compare like with like - a starting senior lecturer today with a starting senior lecturer in three years' time, for example (which makes the increase nearer ?5,000 than ?9,000).

Otherwise one allows the value of the pay scale to be eroded because of individuals gaining annual increments. Also, a considerable percentage of staff are at the top of their scales and will not receive annual increments.

James Montaldi

Manchester University