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Under new contracts for teaching staff at the University of North London "paid holiday has been cut from 35 days plus the Christmas-New Year break to 30" ("New deal enrages Natfhe", THES, January 29). Thus a senior janitor at Glasgow University who enjoys an entitlement to seven weeks' annual leave is now in a superior position to a lecturer at UNL. Crazy is the only word for it. The spokeswoman for the university said that the changes are in part "to reward excellence" - perhaps by giving back 12 weeks' holiday entitlement (Burnham Committee conditions)?

Miles Scott

London SW3