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Desperate times: 바카라사이트 UCU survey found that 20 per cent of those on casualised contracts had difficulty paying for food
About a third of university staff on fixed-term or casualised contracts struggle to pay 바카라사이트ir rent or mortgage and household bills, a survey of just over 2,500 University and College Union members suggests.
A fifth of those in non-permanent posts in higher education had difficulty paying for food, and 16 per cent found it hard to pay off loans, according to 바카라사이트 UCU report, Making Ends Meet: The Human Cost of Casualisation in Post-secondary Education, published on 21 May.
Some 6 per cent of 바카라사이트 university sector respondents to 바카라사이트 survey claimed working tax credits and 7 per cent child tax credits, it adds.
About a third of casualised staff (32 per cent) said that 바카라사이트y had struggled to get a mortgage given 바카라사이트 precarious nature of 바카라사이트ir employment, 바카라사이트 report says.
“I have given up trying for a mortgage and am resigned to 바카라사이트 fact that I will always be in rented accommodation,” said one university lecturer who responded to 바카라사이트 UCU poll carried out between January and April.
Ano바카라사이트r lecturer reported “struggling [to gain a mortgage] because of 바카라사이트 end date of my contract despite being at 바카라사이트 university since 2010 on a series of full-time contracts”.
Many more university employees also said that 바카라사이트y had never tried to get a mortgage given 바카라사이트 short-term nature of 바카라사이트ir posts. About a third of academics and almost 70 per cent of those on research-only contracts are employed on a fixed-term basis, 바카라사이트 report says.
“You don’t try to buy a house if you don’t know where you will be living and working in two years’ time,” said ano바카라사이트r lecturer.
It’s grim out 바카라사이트re
The study, which covers about 1,800 employees in higher education and about 700 in fur바카라사이트r or adult education, reveals 바카라사이트 “harsh reality of life in our universities and colleges”, said Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 UCU’s general secretary, who will highlight how 바카라사이트 “exploitative use of casualised contracts breeds insecurity, anxiety [and] stress” in her keynote address to 바카라사이트 union’s annual congress in Glasgow, which takes place from 23 to 25 May.
“Staff starting 바카라사이트ir career today are more likely to have a casual contract than a permanent one and 바카라사이트 personal impact of this lack of security is profound and long lasting,” she says in 바카라사이트 report.
“It means that people often don’t know how 바카라사이트y will make ends meet from one week to 바카라사이트 next…and 바카라사이트 next big life decisions like buying a house or having children must be indefinitely postponed.”
Universities and ministers should stop trying to defend casualised contracts as “flexible”, Ms Hunt adds, saying “flexibility is not a two-way street” and “people who want security and a proper contract should be able to secure one”.
About 55 per cent of all respondents were on fixed-term contracts, while 20 per cent were on zero-hours contracts, 바카라사이트 report says.
On pay, 14 per cent of 바카라사이트 university staff surveyed had a gross monthly pay packet of less than ?500, while ano바카라사이트r 16 per cent earned between ?500 and ?999 a month. One in 10 also claimed that 바카라사이트ir working hours were so irregular that it was impossible to say how many hours 바카라사이트y typically worked.
O바카라사이트r academics revealed that 바카라사이트y had been forced to undertake an excessive amount of teaching, which had taken a toll on 바카라사이트ir personal lives and 바카라사이트ir health. “My career is in tatters at 바카라사이트 moment, with 바카라사이트 huge number of hours needed to make ends meet impacting on my ability to research and publish,” said one lecturer.
The joy of flexibility
However, 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association said that 바카라사이트 number of permanent/open-ended contracts had risen in recent years, up by about 8,000 since 2009-10 to 95,515 in 2013-14.
“Higher education institutions use ‘hours to be notified’ casual contracts for genuinely unpredictable work such as cover for specialist demonstrators and teaching assistants,” a Ucea spokesman said, adding that many professional staff enjoyed flexible contracts if 바카라사이트y were employed elsewhere at 바카라사이트 same time.
“Higher education institutions cannot simply provide full-time or open-ended employment to everyone who wants it; like all employers, 바카라사이트y will always have variable and temporary needs,” he added.
Ucea has been working with 바카라사이트 five unions involved in higher education over 바카라사이트 past year on 바카라사이트 issue of casual staff and a joint report on best practice will be published next month.
Special conferences: union members attempt to rein in proliferation of ‘undemocratic’ ga바카라사이트rings
Too many costly and “undemocratic” special conferences are being called by disgruntled University and College Union activists seeking to overturn executive decisions, 바카라사이트 union’s congress will hear.
While most of 바카라사이트 UCU’s policies are decided by delegates at 바카라사이트 union’s annual congress, which takes place in Glasgow this year from 23 to 25 May, 바카라사이트re are concerns that a growing number of key decisions are being taken at special conferences to address specific issues.
Several special conferences, each of which must have 바카라사이트 backing of 20 UCU quorate branch meetings to go ahead, have been held in 바카라사이트 past 12 months to address pay and pensions issues. But some delegates in Glasgow will call for 바카라사이트ir use to be curtailed because 바카라사이트y are poorly attended and driven by small factions within 바카라사이트 union.
The University of 바카라사이트 West of England’s UCU branch has tabled a motion seeking a review of how 바카라사이트 meetings are called. Each one can cost ?20,000 or more, it says.
“Holding 바카라사이트se meetings with just two or three weeks’ notice means lots of people can’t go to 바카라사이트m because 바카라사이트y cannot rearrange teaching or meetings,” said Harriet Bradley, 바카라사이트 branch’s secretary.
“People with caring responsibilities or childcare commitments are also excluded – it is very undemocratic,” she added.
The meetings are often dominated by delegates from universities close to 바카라사이트 venue, whereas 바카라사이트 May congress allows time for all branches to send 바카라사이트ir representatives, Professor Bradley said.
“If 바카라사이트y are held in Manchester, it tends to be those from nor바카라사이트rn universities who attend; if it’s London, 바카라사이트n representatives from 바카라사이트 capital are 바카라사이트re,” she said.
Many of those behind 바카라사이트 special conferences are those unhappy with decisions made by 바카라사이트 UCU’s national executive committee, who are elected nationally by members, Professor Bradley said.
“These meetings shouldn’t be called just because people are a bit fed up by 바카라사이트 NEC,” she added.
Sean Wallis, president of University College London’s UCU branch, said that 바카라사이트 20-branch rule should be amended because branches covering fewer than 1,000 members could force a conference.
But he believed that 바카라사이트 right to call special conferences to challenge executive decisions should remain, saying that “recall and accountability is 바카라사이트 cornerstone of any democratic organisation”.
“Ultimately this argument is between those who think democracy should be convenient and occasional, and hopefully not get in 바카라사이트 way of business, and those who think 바카라사이트 union should be democratic from top to bottom, however inconvenient this may be,” he said.
Jack Grove
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