Bassnett's case for redressing pay would be stronger if she fought the good fight without criticising the poor lecturers. The average lecturer-cum-researcher-cum-administrator is working all hours with "extra marking, funding proposals, quantifying (and justifying) research", not to mention coping with restructuring of programmes, administration and assessment. Her remarks about academics "muttering sullenly" to themselves were unfair and insulting. Might not lecturers be better served if those on high campaigned with all their might.
Gillian Ania
School of Languages
University of Salford