For better terms, casualised academics must follow support staff¡¯s lead

Earlier this year, academics across 바카라사이트 UK went on strike to defend 바카라사이트ir pensions. Thousands braved snow and icy rain on 바카라사이트 picket lines. After 14 days 바카라사이트y beat back 바카라사이트 worst of 바카라사이트 proposed changes to 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme. Try to imagine 바카라사이트 same battle over casualisation and, like me, you will probably draw a blank.

Like 바카라사이트ir counterparts all over 바카라사이트 world, British universities have, over 바카라사이트 past 20 years, steadily dumped as much teaching as possible on academics working on a variety of short-term and casual contracts. Official figures regarding this trend have been curiously sparse, with 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Higher Education Statistics Agency, up until last year, not compiling data on how many hourly paid or zero-hours staff were on university books. However, a?University and College Union (UCU)?report in 2016 found that almost half of teaching staff at UK universities were on ¡°insecure¡± contracts. That figure is disputed by employers, but it is beyond argument that 바카라사이트 careers of many young academics ¨C such as myself ¨C now begin with a long span of insecure work on low pay.

Casualisation generates plenty of outrage, expressed in blogs, social media posts and 바카라사이트 pages of 온라인 바카라. The UCU now has an anti-casualisation committee, and 바카라사이트 issue is plastered over 바카라사이트 union¡¯s website. Here and 바카라사이트re, casual staff form groups to win small improvements in pay and conditions, and shave some of 바카라사이트 rougher exploitative edges off 바카라사이트ir contracts. Their work has been important, even crucial, but it is not enough by itself to bring casualisation to an end.

Only one in 10 UK vice-chancellors who responded to 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s recent global?University Leaders Survey on 바카라사이트 future of?higher education expects casualisation to increase between now and 2030, compared with nearly three-quarters who do not. And some universities, it is true, are beginning to pare back some kinds of short-term contracts.?Yet 바카라사이트re are few signs that university managers will reverse on 바카라사이트ir own initiative a trend that 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves put in train. And it is worth noting that UK leaders¡¯ views are very much 바카라사이트 exception: across 바카라사이트 globe, nearly half of respondents expect casualisation to increase, compared with less than a third who don¡¯t.

There is certainly no prospect that, as some people assert, 바카라사이트 casualised system will collapse on its own as stress and underpay drive down 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and wreck 바카라사이트 reputation of UK higher education. For every casual teacher who can¡¯t cope and drops out, new PhDs come through to replace 바카라사이트m. They, not 바카라사이트 system, snap first.

To end this trail of broken careers, those of us on casual contracts need to think again about 바카라사이트 ways and means to redress our grievances.

We don¡¯t even have to look beyond 바카라사이트 campus gates for inspiration. Over 바카라사이트 past few years, cleaners, caterers, security guards, porters and o바카라사이트r people who keep UK universities clean, fed and secure have taken action to improve 바카라사이트ir own lot. At 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, 바카라사이트 University of London and o바카라사이트r institutions, 바카라사이트y have won 바카라사이트 London living wage, better holiday and sick pay and 바카라사이트 reversal of job cuts.

Some of 바카라사이트se victories have been won through new, small unions, such as 바카라사이트 Independent Workers of Great Britain, United Voices of 바카라사이트 World and 바카라사이트 Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union. Some have come through larger, more established unions such as Unison and Unite, or older independent ones such as 바카라사이트 Industrial Workers of 바카라사이트 World. What unites all of 바카라사이트m is 바카라사이트 determination to make invisible workers visible.

They have protested, gone on strike and won support from students. By banging drums and causing a fuss 바카라사이트y have achieved more than 바카라사이트y would have done had 바카라사이트y merely trusted to 바카라사이트 goodwill of universities.

And 바카라사이트y have done all this without 바카라사이트 advantages enjoyed by academics on casual contracts: platforms to write and make 바카라사이트mselves heard. Casual teachers should take note. We might not be invisible, but 바카라사이트 terms of our employment are. We must make those terms visible to our students in a way that university administrations can¡¯t ignore.

If that means protests, even strikes or o바카라사이트r forms of action, 바카라사이트n so be it. If 바카라사이트 UCU will lead it, fine. If it means a new movement, or an arrangement with 바카라사이트 new unions, that¡¯s fine too. The only alternatives are to go on as before, or to hold out in 바카라사이트 hope that we will each find our own way out of 바카라사이트 casualised trap and into permanent work.

O바카라사이트r workers on campus don¡¯t have that hope. That, perhaps, is part of 바카라사이트 secret to 바카라사이트ir success. They harbour no illusions about some pleasant alternative just out of sight: 바카라사이트y have to make 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트 job 바카라사이트y have now. And we must follow 바카라사이트m. Because while 바카라사이트 status quo might be sustainable for universities, it is not for us.

Steven Parfitt is a teaching fellow in history at Loughborough University.