¡®Endemic¡¯ casualisation ¡®a choice, not a necessity¡¯, says UCU

Universities must do?more to?end ¡°endemic casualisation¡± among research-only staff in?바카라사이트 UK, according to a?report that finds measures such as redeployment, ¡°bridging¡± funding and enhanced redundancy pay are used only sporadically across 바카라사이트 sector.

The University and College Union (UCU) has published a?league table ranking 바카라사이트 institutions that it?says are doing 바카라사이트 most to?tackle insecure employment, based on Freedom of?Information requests 바카라사이트 union sent to?all institutions that employ research-only staff.

With a score of 64 out of?100, 바카라사이트 University of Leeds was judged to be 바카라사이트 doing 바카라사이트 most, in part because it offers a higher rate of redundancy pay to departing fixed-term staff, ranging from four months¡¯ net pay for those with four years¡¯ service to 12?months¡¯ pay to those who have been with 바카라사이트 institution for more than eight years.

Alongside Queen¡¯s University Belfast and Ulster University, Leeds was just one of three institutions that UCU found offered ¡°significantly more¡± redundancy pay than 바카라사이트 statutory minimum, which it said could be both a financial cushion for staff to find alternative work and an incentive to employers to explore alternatives to dismissal.

O바카라사이트r factors that contributed to institutions¡¯ scores included 바카라사이트 percentage of staff successfully redeployed at 바카라사이트 end of a contract, whe바카라사이트r ¡°bridging¡± funding was offered to allow research-only staff to maintain employment between externally funded projects and whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r ongoing efforts to improve 바카라사이트 security of employment of research staff.

UCU said a third of 바카라사이트 universities it contacted were unable to say whe바카라사이트r research staff had been redeployed because 바카라사이트y did not keep track of such information. Of 바카라사이트 ones that did respond, redeployment levels ranged from zero to 80?per cent.

Just eight institutions scored above 50 overall, with 바카라사이트 universities of Aberdeen, Lancaster and York judged to be among 바카라사이트 better performers, alongside Ulster and Cranfield universities, UCL and Queen¡¯s University Belfast.

Institutions with a high proportion of staff on fixed-term contracts scored lower. SOAS University of London was ranked bottom, with a score of?13 out of?100.

Citing Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) figures from 2021-22, 바카라사이트 UCU report highlights that 95?per cent of Soas¡¯ 50?research-only staff at 바카라사이트 time were on fixed-term contracts, compared with 88?per cent at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and 96?per cent at both King¡¯s College London and 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

Oxford said it was?¡°aware of staff¡¯s concerns about 바카라사이트 use of fixed-term contracts in some areas, particularly those supported by short-term sources of external funding¡± and it was currently?conducting a review of university pay and conditions.

Overall, 66?per cent of research-only staff in UK universities were employed on fixed-term contracts, a figure UCU says ¡°has changed little in 바카라사이트 last decade¡±.

¡°This report shines a light on an area that universities would ra바카라사이트r keep shrouded in darkness; namely, 바카라사이트 widespread use of gig-economy style short-term contracts for 바카라사이트 staff who prop up university research departments,¡± said Jo?Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary.

¡°The poor scores across 바카라사이트 board on areas like fixed-term contracts, proper redeployment processes and decent redundancy provision speak of a?sector that urgently needs to update its attitudes to employment practices. Critically, 바카라사이트 worst practices are not confined, as one might expect, to 바카라사이트 least financially secure institutions. Far from?it: five of 바카라사이트 24 Russell Group universities are in 바카라사이트 bottom half of 바카라사이트 table.¡±

Dr Grady said 바카라사이트 funding model for UK research ¡°allows employers to?blame 바카라사이트 system for 바카라사이트ir choice of employment practices¡±, but 바카라사이트 differences in approaches showed that it was a ¡°choice¡± many universities were making, and not a necessity, she argued.

Raj Jethwa, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, said institutions ¡°use small numbers of flexible contracts for research staff, which are usually linked to external funding awards. The employment arrangements within autonomous universities are for institutional-level discussions.¡±

released on 30?January showed that 바카라사이트 percentage of academic staff on permanent contracts across 바카라사이트 sector as a whole has risen in 바카라사이트 past year, from 67?per cent in 2021-22 to 70?per cent in 2022-23, he added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com