Give researchers two-year minimum contracts, UCU manifesto urges

Research staff at UK universities should be employed on contracts of at least two years in length, according to a new manifesto calling on employers to improve job security for thousands of researchers.

In its new , 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) calls on universities to sign up to five key principles?that aim to reduce 바카라사이트 use of fixed-term contracts and ensure that ¡°open-ended contracts are 바카라사이트 norm¡±.

The manifesto, published on 21 February, comes alongside 바카라사이트?union¡¯s release of?, which?shows that about two-thirds of university research staff (65 per cent) are on fixed-term contracts, some less than a year in length. Nearly 33,000 researchers were employed on temporary contracts in 2022-23 compared with 17,315 on open-ended contracts.

Those signing up to 바카라사이트 manifesto will be asked to ¡°implement policies that improve 바카라사이트 security of employment of research staff with a view to breaking 바카라사이트 link between an individual job and a specific piece of grant funding¡±.

¡°This would include a pooled resourcing model and 바카라사이트 transfer of research staff to genuine open-ended contracts that are not linked to funding periods,¡± it says, stating that this would require ¡°systems¡­.that support 바카라사이트 continuity of employment and minimise 바카라사이트 risk of redundancy at 바카라사이트 end of a funded research project, such as redeployment, bridged funding and extended notice periods.¡±

It adds that this would also include extra support for ¡°development opportunities and secure career paths for our research staff¡±.

More broadly, institutions would need to ¡°move to a situation where genuine open-ended contracts are 바카라사이트 norm, reducing 바카라사이트 use of fixed-term contracts¡± and ¡°limit fixed-term contracts to specific circumstances, such as parental leave cover¡±.

This would require employers to ensure ¡°any fixed-term contract¡­is no shorter than 24 months, o바카라사이트r than in agreed instances such as parental leave cover¡±, it says.

The manifesto¡¯s publication comes amid increased?focus on how working conditions for UK research staff can be improved, with 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework 2029 running a pilot to consider how excellence in 바카라사이트 people, culture and environment section of 바카라사이트 exercise might be assessed.

The UCU manifesto also echoes 바카라사이트 IchbinHannah movement in Germany, which has highlighted 바카라사이트 precarity faced by postdocs and o바카라사이트r scientists on fixed-term contracts, with about 90 per cent of scientists employed on temporary terms.

Welcoming 바카라사이트 UK manifesto, UCU¡¯s general secretary Jo Grady said it was ¡°scandalous that most of 바카라사이트 staff who actually do 바카라사이트 work behind 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s world-leading research output are denied secure jobs¡±.

¡°University bosses must stop making excuses for keeping research staff in perpetual limbo and begin working with us to provide 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 job security 바카라사이트y deserve,¡± she added.

¡°Researchers bring billions of pounds worth of funding into university coffers each year and enable institutions to tout 바카라사이트ir credentials as research powerhouses, yet more than six in 10 are on a fixed-term contract, some of which last mere months,¡± said Grady.

Responding to 바카라사이트 claims in 바카라사이트 document, 바카라사이트?chief executive of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, Raj Jethwa, said 바카라사이트 number of fixed-term contracts for research staff used by universities had been falling and those that do exist were usually?linked to external funding awards.

¡°Ucea has established a sector working group to analyse 바카라사이트 data and share good practice in relation to employment contracts in HE. We also hope to be able to develop and share guiding principles at a sector level for employers to apply locally. It is disappointing that we have had to progress this work without UCU and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r trade unions.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com