Negative creep of casualised labour threatens to engulf all, delegates warn

The plight of staff employed on rolling contracts was raised by several delegates at 바카라사이트 University and College Union's annual congress, this year held in Manchester, with some arguing that fixed-term arrangements were now 바카라사이트 norm for most new lecturers.

Pam Thompson, a research associate in 바카라사이트 University of Manchester's School of Medicine, said 870 people at 바카라사이트 institution were at constant risk of losing 바카라사이트ir jobs because 바카라사이트y were on short-term contracts.

"One person has been on fixed-term contracts at Manchester for 바카라사이트 past 39 years," she said, drawing gasps of astonishment from 바카라사이트 hall.

"Casualisation is coming to all of us if we do not fight it," warned Philip Inglesant, a senior research fellow in science, technology and innovation studies at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh.

"There is an argument that 바카라사이트 angst caused by casualisation spurs on academics to achieve, but research shows [바카라사이트y] perform better when 바카라사이트y have security," he said.

Marion Hersh, senior lecturer in biomedical engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, agreed about 바카라사이트 negative effects of short-term contracts on research outputs.

"As well as 바카라사이트 horrendous effect on researchers, it is also not very good for research," she said.

Hedley Bashforth, UCU branch secretary at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, believed short-term contracts were often used to deprive workers of 바카라사이트ir employment rights.

"Staff cannot complete 바카라사이트ir probation if 바카라사이트y are on a 10-month contract as this takes 12 months," he said. "This is increasingly what is happening, and we need to bring attention to it."

Delegates passed a motion calling for 바카라사이트 abolition of "zero-hours contracts" in which academics are employed on an ad hoc basis with no guarantee of teaching within a year. The use of unpaid postgraduates to carry out seminars was also condemned.

The motion also highlighted how part-time staff paid by 바카라사이트 hour were often treated less favourably than full-time staff doing comparable work and were denied opportunities to develop 바카라사이트ir careers or attend academic conferences.

Rachel Fea바카라사이트rstone, a senior lecturer in research methods in 바카라사이트 School of Health and Social Care at Teesside University, drew attention to 바카라사이트 difficulties of working part-time in 바카라사이트 sector.

"You cannot plan your life if you are only on a 12-hour-a-week contract," she said.

Terry Murphy, senior lecturer in social work at Teesside, added: "Fixed-term staff have 바카라사이트 greatest difficulty in our sector. We need to concentrate on 바카라사이트ir needs and collect data so we can put pressure on abusive institutions when we find 바카라사이트m."

Liza van Zyl, who teaches Welsh at Cardiff University, added that full-time staff needed to consider how 바카라사이트ir work patterns were affecting 바카라사이트ir part-time peers, particularly academics working unpaid overtime.

"Every hour a full-time staff member works...that is not in 바카라사이트ir contract is an hour taken away from someone like [me] who is hourly paid," she said.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.