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Your leader and article mix two separate issues. Further, the leader misses the key rationale behind the COMCON project, that all employers in the European Union have an obligation to justify the relative worth of all of the jobs in their organisation through the application of objective analysis.

The stance reported in the article raises questions about both the leadership and the followers in the unions concerned. If accurate, it appears that the scholars and scientists working at the leading edge of their fields are unthinkingly obeying the uninformed dictat of a Kommissar of Union Thought Police. Where is "Academic freedom" now?" - "Do not participate" comes the instruction, as if from Peter Sellers in his brown coat and cloth cap, and lo, the brethren obey.

Fortunately, the COMCON system, which is still in the design stage, has been developed with considerable input from a range of thoughtful and expert academics, and as the work progresses into the consultation stage, it will become clear that the changes to our ancient pay structures will generate improvements, maybe even from "Porter to Professor".

Alastair McDougall Member of COMCON management board.