Readers reactions

Last week in The THES... Nick Coleman criticised the handling of last year's campaign of industrial action.

* I too feel angry at being let down by the executive of the Association of University Teachers, particularly since we had widespread support for our pay claim. I do not feel it was a waste of time, but I do feel that we did not capitalise on the success of our actions.

Philip Gordon-Weeks

Professor of developmental neurobiology

Randall Institute

King's College London

* Last year's AUT campaign was a waste of time. It presents a disgraceful spectacle to see the feeble attempts of the AUT leadership to disguise this failure by denial and spin-doctoring.

Bruce Charlton

Department of psychology

University of Newcastle upon Tyne

* Our Natfhe branch voted to coordinate its industrial action in pursuit of our pay claim with that of the AUT. Shortly after our branch decision, the leadership called off the industrial action. Natfhe head office recommended that we follow the AUT's climb-down. Thus a potentially successful course of industrial action was aborted. The government and employers were well served.

Geraldine Thorpe and Pat Brady

Senior lecturers in social and economic studies

London Guildhall University