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I was surprised that the Higher Education Funding Council for England accepts the excuses from some higher education institutions that the Association of University Teachers is delaying the use of job evaluation schemes ("Hefce spending scrutiny sparks run-in with v-cs", THES, December 6).

Equal pay and job grading are complex issues, and many institutions are only just becoming aware of this despite their commitments to the funding council's "Rewarding and developing staff" initiative. The funding council certainly did not account for the complexity of the task in the superficial consultation exercise about it.

The AUT has been working for two years to achieve equal pay and fair grading arrangements that recognise the nature of the academic labour market and staff career expectations.

Malcolm Keight
Assistant general secretary, AUT