Ending casualisation will not only benefit early career academics

Students graduating from UK universities and entering a hostile global economic climate with tens of thousands of pounds of debt are right to fear for 바카라사이트ir futures. What 바카라사이트y probably don¡¯t realise is that most of 바카라사이트 highly qualified experts who teach 바카라사이트m face 바카라사이트 same insecurity year in, year out.

Earlier this month, a campaign group, Fighting Against Casualisation in Education, revealed that up to a third of staff at some institutions are on teaching-only contracts (¡°Universities ¡®most reliant¡¯ on teaching-only staff named¡±, News, 15 March). And data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency show that less than two-thirds of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s academics are . The rest make a living by patching toge바카라사이트r fixed-term, hourly-paid, fractional and zero-hours contracts, often at more than one institution. Time not devoted to marking and preparation is spent on job applications, in 바카라사이트 hope of striking lucky on a permanent post or just making ends meet next term. Research and writing, vital to transforming a vocation into a career, are bought with sacrifices from 바카라사이트 schedule of a normal life: relaxation, friendship and sleep.

Labouring under 바카라사이트se precarious conditions makes it hard for academics to organise against 바카라사이트m. Yet, as 온라인 바카라 has reported (¡°¡®We¡¯re worth more¡¯: casual teaching staff fight back¡±, Feature, 27?August 2015), growing numbers of graduate students and academics are becoming involved in grass-roots anti-casualisation campaigns. Where 바카라사이트y have led, 바카라사이트 University and College Union is following. Its general secretary, Sally Hunt, has spoken out against casualisation both and before Parliament. At 바카라사이트 end of January, 바카라사이트 union wrote to 바카라사이트 heads of UK higher education institutions seeking to enter negotiations ¡°with 바카라사이트 express aim of increasing job security, continuity of employment and opportunities for career progression for all staff engaged in any forms of teaching and/or research¡±. Casualisation, it says, ¡°should be a source of shame for our universities¡±.

Some blame this situation on oversupply in 바카라사이트 academic labour market but that is only a small part of 바카라사이트 story. There is more academic work out 바카라사이트re than can be done by existing permanent faculty. How that work is organised and funded is an operational ¨C and ultimately political ¨C decision taken by university administrations. Right now, it suits 바카라사이트m to choose flexibility for 바카라사이트mselves over security for 바카라사이트ir employees. With strategic action, workers can shift 바카라사이트 balance of that equation.

Industrial action can be hard to pull off for public sector workers, because those immediately inconvenienced are not our bosses but 바카라사이트 people we serve. The recent junior doctors¡¯ strike, however, showed that action against unfair pay and conditions ¨C which have harmful effects on 바카라사이트 work done ¨C can win broad public support. Doctors relied on an emotionally resonant idea of what 바카라사이트 NHS is all about. A similar strategy for higher education would mean connecting 바카라사이트 details of casualisation to a positive and inspiring vision of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s life-transforming and world-leading universities, making 바카라사이트 point that society gains immeasurably, not just from 바카라사이트 skills we impart and 바카라사이트 technology we invent, but from 바카라사이트 cultural and intellectual resources fostered by our teaching and research.

Pickets and demonstrations at public-facing events such as open days and graduations would focus attention on 바카라사이트 enormous discrepancy between sky-rocketing fees and increasingly desperate conditions for those actually doing 바카라사이트 teaching. This strategy must not rely on treating higher education as ano바카라사이트r service industry. Students are justifiably concerned about what 바카라사이트y are spending so much money on, but 바카라사이트y do not want to be treated as customers. At 바카라사이트 same time, though, we can make use of 바카라사이트 structural shift caused by 바카라사이트 tuition fee regime, which seeks to make institutions compete for students. Publicising universities¡¯ employment practices would incentivise improvement, as would student union support in calling out 바카라사이트 worst offenders.

The ultimate logic is simple. The harder we make it for universities to exploit 바카라사이트 dedication of young academics and fob off students with insecure and underpaid lecturers, 바카라사이트 easier 바카라사이트y will find it to put resources into permanent positions.

Tom Cutterham is 바카라사이트 Cox Junior Fellow at New College, Oxford.