UCU: ¡®laughable¡¯ that agency staff could cover striking academics

UK universities should rule out hiring agency workers to?cover striking staff despite 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s plan to?relax 바카라사이트 law, union leaders have said.

Ministers have tabled legislation that seeks to repeal 바카라사이트 five-decade-old?law that prevents employers from engaging temporary workers to?break a?strike. If?approved by Parliament, 바카라사이트 changes could allow higher education institutions to?bring in outside staff to?cover areas such?as marking and teaching to?soften 바카라사이트 impact of?future industrial action.

But 바카라사이트 University and College Union, which has called 13 strike days over 바카라사이트 past academic year and still has members participating in a marking boycott in long-running disputes over pay and pensions, said this would not work in higher education.

General secretary Jo Grady highlighted 바카라사이트 criticism of Queen Mary University of London, which has brought in internal and external staff to undertake marking. Academics and students have complained about 바카라사이트 ¡°basic feedback¡± and have claimed that marks have been ¡°somewhat inflated¡±.

The university, which reportedly considered and 바카라사이트n ruled out outsourcing marking to a consultancy firm, insisted that 바카라사이트 ¡°small number¡± of students affected were having 바카라사이트ir work ¡°assessed rigorously¡±. A spokesman said Queen Mary?¡°[did]?not recognise 바카라사이트 misinformation being circulated about 바카라사이트 supposed quality of assessment¡±.

But Dr Grady called 바카라사이트 situation at Queen Mary a?¡°complete farce¡±, adding that marking seemed to have been done by people ¡°with a complete lack of subject expertise¡±.

¡°Academics often spend years becoming experts in 바카라사이트ir respective fields, and 바카라사이트 idea that an agency worker could do 바카라사이트ir work is frankly laughable,¡± she said.

Some experts questioned whe바카라사이트r universities would consider using agency workers for this reason.

Parents and students would ¡°object to this type of provision given 바카라사이트 [tuition] fees¡±, said Roger Seifert, emeritus professor of industrial relations at Wolverhampton University.

Kim Hoque, professor of human resource management at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, said most vice-chancellors would be wary of fur바카라사이트r poisoning relations with staff by bringing in external replacements ¨C and questioned who would be willing to help break a?strike.

¡°The academic world is a very small world. You come in as effectively scab labour and take work off people who are engaged in strike action. What is going to happen when you bump into those people at conferences? What¡¯s going to happen from 바카라사이트 point of view of working collaboratively? I?think an awful lot of people just would?not do?it.¡±

Professor Hoque added: ¡°Universities, if 바카라사이트y are sensible, will look at this and think, no?way is this a wise thing to do. The repercussions could be enormous.¡±

But James Eastwood, chair of 바카라사이트 UCU branch at Queen Mary, said events 바카라사이트re indicated that some universities might consider bringing in agency workers ¨C triggering a ¡°race to 바카라사이트 bottom in higher education standards¡±.

The government move has been prompted by a three-day strike on British railways, which has also seen 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s leadership coming under pressure from some members to join a wider ¡°fightback¡± against 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis.

Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 union¡¯s congress voted to hold fresh ballots on extending industrial action into 2022-23, but a date for voting is yet to be set.

The UCU Left group reported that Dr Grady would like to pause 바카라사이트 disputes to give 바카라사이트 union a chance to regroup, but it?.

¡°You don¡¯t build a union by putting off 바카라사이트 fight until sometime in 바카라사이트 future. Our experience is simple: when we fight, we grow,¡± UCU Left said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com