Non-teaching staff 'suffer abuse'

One in seven non-teaching workers said they had been attacked

Support staff in higher education institutions, such as cleaners and cooks, are often harassed by academics and students, a report suggests.

Research for the union Unison found such staff in universities and colleges across the UK were treated with little respect for the services they provided.

Christina McAnea, of Unison, said the problems identified were "disturbing".

A survey of 1,100 workers found 20% had faced some form of violence, mostly serious verbal abuse.

One in seven workers said they had been physically attacked.

It is disturbing to see that there is an underlying problem of sexism and racism Christina McAnea Unison

The survey included cleaners, cooks, librarians, clerical staff, technicians, security guards and other workers.

Researchers found a third of women revealed that they had endured some form of sexual harassment, while one in five people from ethnic minorities had been the victims of racism.

And 6% of non-teaching staff said they had been threatened with a weapon.

Some workers complained that they were victimised by fellow workers or managers as well as by students.

"It is an undeniable fact that support and professional staff are treated poorly by managers, colleagues and students," said Ms McAnea, Unison's head of education services.

'Lip service'

She said support staff deserved more respect, adding: "The sector needs to look long and hard at how it treats and protects its staff.

"It is disturbing to see that there is an underlying problem of sexism and racism. Not just from one group, but right across the board from managers, colleagues and students.

"We want to work with university managers to make sure we do more than just pay lip service to getting rid of this sort of behaviour."

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association said that violence and discrimination should be dealt with robustly and work was under way to provide clear guidance to staff.