UCU day of action to tackle scandal of education casualisation

The 'Stamp Out Casual Contracts' campaign, launched last month, aims to expose and stamp out the levels of casualisation in post-16 education; something the union describes as 'one of education's biggest scandals and dirtiest secrets'. According to the government's Labour Force Survey, only staff working in the Labour, personnel recruitment sector have higher levels of casualisation then people working in adult education and at first and post-degree level.
 
In further education two in five teaching staff (41%) are not on a permanent contract. In the higher education sector more than a third (38%) of academic and one in five (20%) academic-related staff are on fixed-term posts. The position is worst for research-only staff in higher education where more than three quarters (78%) are on fixed-term posts.
 
The union warned today that the abuse of casualised staff can no longer be swept under the carpet. Thompson's solicitors will be providing legal advice at special surgeries set up at universities and colleges across the country.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'I think it is a source of great shame that education has such widespread levels of casualisation. The extensive and scandalous use of fixed-term contracts is the unacceptable underbelly of post-16 education in this country. Our campaign will expose the dirty secret, ensure that staff know their rights and stop certain employers from exploiting their staff.'
 
The specific aims of the campaign are:

• to increase the use of permanent contracts for the thousands of professional staff employed on casual contracts across further, higher and adult education
• to resist vulnerable employment, including the imposition of zero hours contracts, bogus self-employment, pay lower than that of colleagues doing comparable work and to seek equal treatment for agency workers
• to oppose selection for redundancy on the basis of being on a fixed-term and/or part-time contract
• to transfer hourly paid and other staff on casual contracts to full-time or fractional contracts with the same terms and conditions as permanent, full-time salaried staff
• to secure fair working conditions for staff on casual contracts, including photocopying facilities and desk space.