Money talks 2

Sally Hunt's protest about staff salary increases is perplexing (Letters, 26 March). Higher Education Statistics Agency data compare average salaries across the whole population of academic staff, so the figure is not the same as the increase any individual will have received. Staff know the pay increases they received during 2007-08 under the 2006-09 pay agreement, and will understand that their experience is the proper comparison.

The two increases in 2007-08 - on 1 August 2007 and 1 May 2008 - provided an absolute minimum of 6 per cent, although most staff received at least 9 per cent from an incremental change as well.

The average pay increase in some institutions between 2006 and 2009 exceeded 23 per cent, so it is not surprising that teaching professionals in higher education are now the fifth-highest paid group of employees in the UK.

Damian Docherty, Head of employee relations and reward Universities and Colleges Employers Association.