* The first group of support staff to submit a claim in this year's pay round has asked for a minimum Pounds 5 an hour and a shorter working week.
The Transport and General Workers Union, which represents manual staff in old universities and some administrative and clerical staff in new, will discuss its claim with other higher education support unions in the next few days with a view to submitting it to employers next month. The minimum for manual grades in the old universities is Pounds 4.06 per hour.