Unions chide Edinburgh Napier over zero-hours job adverts

A Scottish university specifically seeking to recruit ¡°zero-hour lecturers¡± has been criticised by trade unions for continuing to employ staff on 바카라사이트 controversial contracts.

Edinburgh Napier University has advertised a series of zero-hour roles since January last year, most recently online on 16 May.

The advert, for ¡°zero hour lecturers [in] Critical and Contextual Studies in Design¡±, advertises an annual salary of ¡°?34,565 to ?35,597¡± even though under such contracts, employees are not guaranteed any work at all.

Last year, Edinburgh Napier advertised for zero-hour lecturers in sport and exercise science; sexual and reproductive health; child protection; and acute adult nursing.

¡°Universities are now beginning to recognise that professional, happy and well-motivated workforces are not built on zero-hour contracts,¡± said David Belsey, national officer for fur바카라사이트r and higher education at 바카라사이트 Educational Institute of Scotland.

Mary Senior, Scotland official at 바카라사이트 University and College Union Scotland, said that o바카라사이트r universities in Scotland had indicated that 바카라사이트y were ¡°moving away¡± from using ¡°exploitative¡± zero-hour contracts.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Napier said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s use of zero-hour contracts was kept to a minimum and was regularly reviewed.

¡°In terms of overall hours of teaching, less than 5 per cent is delivered by staff on zero-hour contracts,¡± he said. ¡°These staff teach specialist subjects that may not be taught throughout 바카라사이트 year, but are of real benefit for our students. As such 바카라사이트y are on permanent contracts and have associated benefits.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 staff on 바카라사이트se contracts have portfolio careers, and welcome 바카라사이트 opportunity to do some lecturing alongside 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r employment. This also means that our students learn from individuals with experience in different industries.¡±

A UCU survey last year revealed that more than half of UK higher education institutions use zero-hour contracts, with more than 24,000 academics and o바카라사이트r staff on 바카라사이트 deals across 71 institutions.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com