‘An absolute joke...’: Warwick Professor slams ‘low’ pay in UK universities, says India pays more

A UK-based professor at the University of Warwick has raised concerns about low salaries claiming that Indian universities are paying more for talent, particularly for contractual staff. Anant Sudarshan, Faculty, Department of Economics, University of Warwick, said that he struggled to attract top talent to UK as salaries are abysmally low, in some cases just Rs 7.5 lakh annually. 

In a post shared on the social media platform X, Sudarshan highlighted the issue of low academic salaries in the UK. He pointed out that even for highly skilled roles, salaries have become so low in absolute terms that they are losing out to offers from countries like India, which is traditionally viewed as a lower-income nation. 

“UK salaries are becoming an absolute joke especially for contractual staff. I have failed to hire people eligible for the UKs special high potential individual visa because a government university in India is willing to pay them slightly more in absolute terms than here,” he wrote in a post on X (formally Twitter). 

“To be clear - there is no comparison in absolute terms on average and thus for most people (although PPP looks different). But on the margins, for the best people, the UK is now stunningly unattractive especially in academia,” he explained. 

Sudarshan’s post went viral with many questions if UGC scale pays more than UK, while some wondered who one survives in UK with that pay scale. 

Sudarshan explained that the UGC pay scales are much lower but individual project staff on short term contracts can get paid more. “That said many contract teachers in the UK pull in about 30,000 pounds. PPP that’s about Rs 7.5 lakhs annually,” he said, adding “No, they do not offer more on standard scales (unless you adjust for PPP). But in special cases e.g. 2-3 year project appointments where pay is flexible, UK scales are now so low that the two can become comparable even in absolute terms. An absolutely vast difference in PPP terms.” 

A user wrote, “UK salaries are definitely becoming a joke considering how London is almost as expensive as New York and salaries as low as Ahmedabad.” 

A user also highlighted that UK salaries are equally bad in tech sector also.  

Another highlighted that UK fares poorly compared to other nations. “US has much higher pay + better research. Australia has far better weather. Europe has better quality of life. India has much better food and culture. On top of that the rudeness, racism, and lack of safety,” read the post.  

The Warwick University professor faced racist backlash for his post with people asking him to “go back” or hire UK citizens for vacancies instead of recruiting foreigners.   

“Maybe you should all go back!” read one comment under his post. “Whatever it takes. Go back,” another X account posted.   

“Boo hoo. Hire citizens,” a third suggested, to which Sudarshan replied, “The point isn’t whether someone is a citizen or not. The point is whoever is hired is paid too little - citizens don’t get more!” 

The backlash highlights growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK and other parts of Europe.