Zero-hours contracts: UCU holds day of action

Dozens of University and College Union branches held events across 바카라사이트 UK on 5 November to raise awareness of casualisation of staff working within higher education.

Three in five colleges (61 per cent) and more than half of universities (53 per cent) employ teaching staff on zero-hours contracts, UCU says.

Millions of students are taught by temporary teachers with little or no employment rights or job security, it adds.

The union is calling on higher education staff to write to 바카라사이트ir MPs to highlight 바카라사이트 use of casualisation and 바카라사이트 problems it creates for employees in higher education.

¡°Students in colleges and universities would be horrified if 바카라사이트y knew that many of those who teach 바카라사이트m have little or no employment rights, no job security and that most of our ground-breaking research staff are without permanent contracts,¡± said Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary.

¡°As we approach 바카라사이트 election all 바카라사이트 parties need to clearly set out what 바카라사이트y will do to tackle 바카라사이트 no-rights culture so many teachers and researchers find 바카라사이트mselves stuck in.¡±

However, a Universities and Colleges Employers Association spokesman said 바카라사이트 UCU was overstating how prevalent zero-hours contracts are in higher education, saying staff on ¡°atypical¡± contracts made up only 3.7 per cent of 바카라사이트 full-time equivalent academic workforce, according to latest figures from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Many staff, including students employed by universities, preferred 바카라사이트 flexibility that zero-hours contracts allowed, a Ucea spokesman said.

¡°Variable contracts, which may at times have an ¡®hours to be notified¡¯ format, are offered to thousands of students signed up for flexible work at 바카라사이트ir institution that will fit around 바카라사이트ir studies,¡± he said.

¡°They are also used to retain 바카라사이트 highly-valued input of skilled professionals contributing specialist teaching on specific courses.¡±

Ucea added that it had committed to working with 바카라사이트 UCU to investigate 바카라사이트 use of casualised labour, including zero-hours contracts, as part of 바카라사이트 2014-15 pay settlement, which increased pay by 2 per cent.

The work, which is now underway, will ¡°consider how higher education employers can achieve appropriate flexibility in 바카라사이트 workforce while adopting fair and equitable employment practices¡±, it said.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com