UCU on Twitter

“NEW: @UCEA1 is using dodgy maths to justify denying staff the pay rise they deserve This is the same body that’s trying to enforce brutal pay deductions for our marking boycott We’re not having any of it #ucuRISING https://t.co/PcoCDoQcOM”

Open letter: Vote REJECT to fight casualisation

Please sign below if you are a casualised member of HE staff and agree with this letter. Note that signatures will be listed publicly at the bottom of the letter. UCU’s leadership has announced that it will formally consult members on employers’ proposals in both the pension dispute and the pay and conditions dispute, recommending that members reject proposals relating to pay and conditions. We, the undersigned, are casualised members of HE staff, writing to encourage our fellow UCU members to vote to REJECT employers’ proposals on pay and conditions. We particularly ask colleagues on permanent, secure contracts to reject the proposals, in solidarity with and alongside casualised members. The employers’ proposals provide no serious movement on casualisation. They consist of minimal terms of reference under which UCEA will enter into eleven months of negotiations over “principles” which institutions will “be able” (but not obliged) to apply to their local use of casual contracts, as well as an agreement by UCEA “to consult its members, with a positive recommendation to take action on zero hours contracts”. Let us be clear: these proposals are insultingly insufficient on all counts and will damage prospects of future progress in fighting casualisation. Not good enough As staff currently on fixed-term, fractional, hourly-paid, zero hours, minimum hours contracts or with ‘independent contractor’ status – and/or as PGRs facing a future rife with such contracts – we know the significance of casualisation all too well. Job insecurity can make life in our sector unlivable, with colleagues having already been effectively forced out of HE and many more considering leaving. Those of us who are women and/or racially minoritised are more likely to be placed on casual contracts,facing the multitude of risks and difficult decisions that come with them. The longer that the current extent of casualisation continues, the greater the detriment will be to our colleagues and to our sector as a whole, making casualisation a particularly time-sensitive element of our dispute. While genuine movement towards ridding our sector of zero hours contracts would be very welcome for the 2% of academic staff on ZHCs, these proposals offer no such thing. They provide vague indications that UCEA will encourage HEIs to “take action” on ZHCs, making these even less concrete than proposals that employers have made in previous years, as our elected lay negotiators point out. And there is even less clarity on what the employers’ proposals will do for the 32% of academic staff and 14% of ARPS staff on fixed-term contracts. Precarious staff have sacrificed weeks of pay and career progression to strike against casualisation. We have been amongst the most prominent and dedicated UCU members on the picket lines. We cannot let this effort go to waste by effectively ending this dispute without significant progress being made. Damaging future progress The proposed terms of reference make it clear that any “principles” agreed on employers’ use of casual contracts will be applied by individual institutions through “the appropriate local consultation and/or negotiating machinery”. Accepting such terms would be self-defeating for UCU, placing the burden of enforcement onto already overworked branches, doing nothing to challenge the proliferation of diverse forms of casualisation across institutions, and fracturing our collective national strength. There is no reason why universities cannot agree a “national framework to eliminate precarious employment practises” – as all campus unions have already jointly demanded – and we must reject this transparent effort by employers to avoid doing so. While the campus unions have insisted that they will not rule out future industrial action as a precondition for negotiations, UCEA have made it equally clear that this is precisely what they expect, demanding that we stand down all forms of industrial action – including ASOS – until negotiations end in February 2024. Any consideration of this whatsoever – such as calling off the marking and assessment boycott that UCU members have repeatedly called to take place in April – poses a serious threat to future progress in fighting casualisation. Ultimately, employers will not be swayed by the strength of our arguments but by the disruptiveness of our industrial action. If the former was the case, we would have won our disputes by now. Any voluntary reduction of UCU’s ability to threaten industrial action will make negotiations effectively toothless on our part. A marking and assessment boycott has serious potential to force progress, demonstrated by progress made locally in MABs carried out last year. Whilst it is disappointing that UCU has not committed the necessary resources to organising the national MAB since it was voted for in January, we argue that it remains our most effective tactic in the urgent circumstances in which we find ourselves. Rejecting these proposals must result in UCU launching a national MAB on April 17th. We should make clear to employers that we are prepared to continue to escalate until they agree to a comprehensive package of nationally binding provisions which properly address the scourge of casualisation. This must be in recognition of both the hardship already experienced by casualised colleagues and of the threat that casualisation poses to the future of our sector. We urge colleagues with the security of permanent contracts to recognise this by voting to REJECT the employers’ proposals. Signed, 1. Morgan Rhys Powell, GTA and PGR, University of Manchester 2. Roberto Mozzachiodi, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths 3. Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal, fixed-term Lecturer, Queen Mary UCU 4. Ioana Cerasella Chis, PGTA at The University of Birmingham & Birmingham UCU member 5. Rhian Elinor Keyse, Fixed term research fellow, Birkbeck UCU/UCU Anti-Casualisation Committee/ UCU NEC/ UCU CEEC 6. Robert Stearn, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Birkbeck UCU 7. Evan Sedgwick-Jell, TA, Associate Lecturer and PGR, Birkbeck UCU 8. Josh Bunting, Lecturer, University of Manchester 9. Billy Godfrey, TA and PhD student, Loughborough 10. Eva Salzman, AL, ECW, Goldsmiths 11. Alexus Davis, GTA and PGR, University of Manchester; PGT Dissertation Supervisor, Middlesex University of London 12. Tiziana Morosetti, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths 13. Charlotte Terrell, postdoctoral researcher, University of Oxford 14. Elizabeth Beacon, Teaching Associate & PGR, Royal Holloway, University of London 15. Savannah Whaley, fixed-term Lecturer, KCL 16. Danai Avgeri, Fixed-term research fellow, Cambridge UCU 17. Leo Watkins, Associate lecturer, Goldsmiths 18. Michael Lawrence, PGR, Queen's University Belfast 19. Sam Morecroft, Sessional Tutor, USIC 20. Vincent Guermond, research fellow, RHUL 21. Aisling O’Beirn, lecturer, Ulster University 22. Deivi Norberg, Teaching Associate, Queen Mary UCU / UCL UCU 23. Bianca Scoti, GTA History, University of Glasgow UCU 24. Pietro Stefanini, Tutor and PhD candidate, University of Edinburgh 25. Sam Cermak, TA, Queen Mary University of London 26. Gavin Hawkton, GTA, university of Glasgow 27. Caro Lesemann-Elliott, PGR/workshop leader (TA) RHUL 28. David Bell, University Teacher, Loughborough University 29. Hugh Hammond, PGR and Hourly Paid Worker, Royal Holloway 30. Cathy Nugent, Assistant Lecturer, Goldsmiths 31. Fiona Pashazadeh, GTA and PGR, University of Manchester UCU 32. Sam Glasper, PGR, Liverpool 33. Dan Elphick, fixed-term Lecturer and Vice Chair, Royal Holloway UCU 34. Josh Allen, casualised ARPS member, caseworker Warwick UCU 35. Khadijah Diskin GTA/PhD Candidate MMU UCU 36. Norman Hagan E&C Consultant UCU rep Ulster University 37. Simina Dragos, PhD student, Cambridge UCU 38. Stan Papoulias, fixed term researcher, rep, KCL UCU 39. Fergal Hanna, GTA and PGR, Cambridge UCU 40. Eric Silverman, Research Fellow, University of Glasgow 41. Lucy Mercer, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths 42. Puren Aktas, PGR & Research Assistant, UCU Warwick 43. Anish Chhibber, PGR, Northumbria UCU 44. Daniel Brown, GTA & PhD Student, LSE 45. Meriam Mabrouk, PhD student, Birkbeck UCU 46. Magdalena Rodekirchen, Research Associate & PhD researcher, UMUCU 47. Isabel Stuart, PGR and TA Queen Mary 48. Chrissy Sanachan, Research admin, UCU Glasgow 49. Lucy Freedman, phd student, queen mary, ucu 50. Bettina Friedrich, Research Associate, UCL 51. Will Byrd, Research Assistant, LSE 52. Olivia Arigho-Stiles, UCL UCU 53. Ifor Duncan, Fixed term Lecturer, Goldsmiths 54. Christina Paine, Casually employed lecturer for 20 years, Chair of London Met UCU 55. Jennifer Warren, AL and PhD student, University of the Arts London 56. Sherene Meir, Teaching Fellow (fixed term), Durham UCU 57. Dan Green, PGR, Heriot-Watt University 58. Archie Wolfman, PhD Researcher, QMUCU 59. Pedro Silva Rocha Lima, Lecturer (fixed term), University of Manchester 60. Dan Davison, undergraduate supervisor, Cambridge UCU 61. Catriona Gold, PhD Candidate/PGTA, UCL 62. Paul Prior, Professional Services, UCL 63. Richard Lane, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths 64. Bella Vivat, Principal Research Fellow, UCL 65. Lorcan Whitehead, Learning and Teaching Adviser, University of Essex 66. Simon Moore, fixed term Comms and Engagement Officer, University of Leeds 67. Hanife Schulte, TA & PGR, QMUL 68. Tommy Nyberg, Research Associate, Cambridge UCU 69. Tom Haines-Doran, Policy Fellow, University of Leeds 70. Conor Francis Macis, PhD researcher and Graduate Teacher, University of Bristol 71. Joe Holloway, Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, University of Exeter 72. Adam Ferron, Edinburgh University 73. Ricardo Ribeiro Ferreira, PhD researcher and tutor, University of Edinburgh 74. Valeria Tolis, Teaching Fellow, University of Leeds 75. Bianca Griffani, PGR officer, Goldsmiths 76. Dylan Carver, Stipendiary Lecturer, University of Oxford 77. Sami Pinarbasi, University of Manchester UCU 78. Maev Mcdaid, University of Sheffield 79. Simon Joyce, Research Fellow, University of Leeds 80. Will Hornett, fixed term teaching associate, Cambridge University 81. Edanur Yazici, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Warwick UCU 82. Jade E French, postdoctoral researcher, Loughborough University 83. Luan Cassal, GTA and PGR, University of Manchester 84. Margherita Huntley, UAL UCU 85. Eloise Grey, Teaching Fellow, University of Aberdeen 86. Waseem Ahmed, PGTA, UCL 87. Ellen Dyer, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford 88. Sarah Marks, CDT Manager, UCL UCU 89. Corinne Prescott, currently unemployed research manager, University of Oxford UCU 90. Robert White, Anti-casualisation Officer, Kingston UCU 91. Dominic Walker, postdoctoral researcher, University of Cambridge 92. Judy Thorne, fixed-term lecturer, University of Manchester 93. Martin Greenwood, GTA & PGR, Manchester UCU 94. Katarina Almeida-Warren, Early Career Research Fellow, University of Oxford 95. Timothy LaRock, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford 96. Matt Bennett, anticas officer and postdoc, University of Essex 97. Janelle Winters, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford 98. Andy Bradshaw, Postdoctoral research associate, King's College London 99. Tim Joubert, fixed term teaching fellow, University of Leeds 100. Rosie Hampton, GTA & PGR, UCU Glasgow 101. Onyeka Igwe, Senior Tutor, University of Oxford UCU 102. Jasmine Folz, lecturer, University of Manchester 103. Tom Cowin, Anti-Casualisation Officer, Sussex UCU 104. Dan Weatherill, postdoctoral research assistant, University of Oxford UCU 105. Franziska Paul, Postdoctoral Researcher, UCU Glasgow 106. Justine Rudkin, FTC Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford. 107. Hope Doherty-Harrison, Teaching Fellow, University of Edinburgh 108. Jarrah O'Neill, undergraduate supervisor, Cambridge UCU 109. Ben Bowsher, post-graduate researcher and hourly-paid teaching staff, Newcastle University 110. Ingrid Hanson, fixed-term lecturer, Uni of Manchester 111. Henry Tranter, Software engineer, University of Manchester 112. Caleb Day, Foundation tutor, PGR and Anti-Casualisation Officer, Durham UCU 113. Wendy Chapple Branch Sec/CoCom Co Sec (CSM) UAL 114. Siobhan O'Neill, Researcher, University of Manchester 115. Alberto Pezzotta, postdoctoral researcher, UCL 116. Lorena Gazzotti, Vice-President, Cambridge UCU 117. N. Vittal, UCU dept rep and UCL UCU Exec, University College London 118. Nabeel Anwar, PGR, University of Southampton UCU 119. Leila Prasad, Associate lecturer, Goldsmiths 120. Jess Adams, Research Assistant, Newcastle University 121. Marion Lieutaud, Research fellow, Anti-casualisation co-officer, London School of Economics 122. Zachary Narowlansky, PGR/Graduate Teacher, University of Bristol 123. Lukas Slothuus, anti-casualisation co-officer, LSE UCU 124. Yasmine Kherfi, PGTA & PhD student, LSE UCU 125. Anne-Laure Mahé, Fellow, LSE UCU 126. Mo O'Neill, PhD student and tutor, University of Sheffield 127. Hannah Schling, fixed-term Lecturer, University of Glasgow 128. Yari Lanci, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths 129. Thomas Clements, Lecturer, University of Manchester 130. Jack McGinn, PhD candidate and GTA, LSE 131. Stephanie Mulrine, Research Associate, Newcastle University 132. Georgie Carr, phd student, University of Sussex 133. Adam Fletcher, PDR, University of Manchester 134. George Dimitriadis, Senior Research Fellow, fixed term, UCL, UCU 135. Julian Neuhauser, Hourly Paid Lecturer, KCL 136. Elizabeth Cox, Graduate Teaching Assistant & PhD researcher, York St John University 137. Catherine Arthur, Lecturer, University of Manchester 138. Gina Walter, PhD candidate and hourly paid teacher, Bristol 139. Davide Pala, GTA & PGR at UoM 140. Faidra Faitaki, Departmental Lecturer (fixed-term), University of Oxford 141. Paulina Hoyos, ARPS staff on fixed-term contract, University of Manchester 142. Mikołaj Szafrański, PhD Candidate & GTA, LSE UCU 143. J. Ryan Stinnett, Research Associate, King’s College London 144. Arianna Bassetti, Teaching Fellow, Queen Mary University of London 145. Matteo Falomi, fixed term teacher, Essex 146. Nina Vindum Rasmussen, Fellow, LSE UCU 147. Nailya Shamgunova, LSE Fellow, London School of Economic and Political Science 148. Anna Finiguerra, Teaching Associate and PGR, QMUL 149. Bob Roth, PhD Researcher and GTA, LSE UCU 150. Florian Breit, Research Officer, Bangor University 151. Dominique Dillabough-Lefebvre, Graduate Teaching Assistant & PhD researcher, LSE 152. Henry Mason, PGR, QMUCU 153. Emma Welton, PGR and TA, Queen Mary UCU 154. Stephanie Classmann, fixed-term lecturer, Kent 155. Suzanne T G Harris, Fellow, LSE 156. Joey Frances, Lecturer, Bangor University 157. Phoebe Campion, PhD researcher & graduate supervisor, University of Cambridge 158. Loz Hennessy. RA and PGR. PGR rep. University of Bristol 159. Josh Bowsher, lecturer, Sussex 160. Ellie Armon Azoulay precariously employed as a fixed term lecturer, Newcastle University 161. Lena Ferriday, PhD Student and GTA, University of Bristol 162. Phoebe Harding-Walker, PGR & GTA, University of Manchester UCU 163. Matteo Tiratelli, Anti-Casualisation Officer, UCL UCU 164. Joe Kearsey, Teaching Associate, University of Nottingham 165. Lawrence Davies, fixed-term Lecturer, University of Liverpool 166. Anamika Misra, Teaching Associate, Bristol UCU 167. Aama Abdi, PhD student & GTA, University of Warwick 168. Erica Scourti, Lecturer, Central St Martins (UAL) 169. Sofia Doyle, PhD student, RA and GTA, Uni of Manchester UCU 170. Nikolaus Perneczky, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queen Mary University of London 171. Euan Allison, PGTA and PhD student, UCL 172. Fanny Wendt Höjer, AL and PhD candidate, Goldsmiths 173. Pauline van Mourik Broekman, Associate lecturer, UAL 174. Joanne McVey, HPL, University of Arts London 175. Ed Hadfield, PGR & VL, University of Westminster 176. Eleanor Tiplady Higgs, fixed-term lecturer, Brunel University 177. Nathaniel Tetteh, Lecturer University of Manchester 178. Lorette Green, PGR & VL, University of Westminster 179. Marina Baldissera Pacchetti, research fellow and anti-cas officer, Leeds Uni UCU 180. Katherine Cooper, fixed term lecturer, University of East Anglia 181. Fernanda Palmieri, lecturer, UEL 182. Diego Macias, GTA, King's College London 183. Katerina Zacharopoulou, PGTA and PhD student, UCL 184. Matilda Moors, AsL/HPL, London Met, UAL, UWE 185. Michael Reeve, fixed-term lecturer, Open University 186. Rafael Lubner, fixed-term lecturer, KCL 187. Shumi Bose, UAL CSM UCU, RCA UCU 188. Alison Briggs, Research Associate, University of Manchester UCU 189. Beth Potter, PhD candidate & GTA, KCL 190. Matthias Kispert, Associate Lecturer/Visiting Lecturer, University of the Arts London/University of Westminster 191. Tessa Roberts, Post-doc Fellow, King's College London 192. Louis Stockwell, GTA & PhD student, University of Warwick 193. Flavio Fellica, Doctoral Researcher, City 194. Niamh Cashell, PhD student/ GTA, university of Manchester 195. Danilo Giglitto, Research Associate and Associate Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam University 196. Laura Blair, PhD student & Teaching Associate, Queen Mary University of London 197. C. Reddaway, fixed term research associate, KCL 198. Miriam Kent, University of Leeds 199. Dimitra Kotouza, Research Fellow, Edinburgh UCU 200. Edward Caddy, Teaching Associate, Queen Mary University of London 201. Katie Keddie, PhD student and PGTA, University of Nottingham UCU 202. Ben Scott, HPL, NTU 203. Anne-Marie Houde, PhD candidate and GTA, University of Warwick 204. George Kalivis, Associate Lecturer and PhD student, Goldsmiths, University of London 205. Paige Isaacson, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths 206. Sean Stansill, PhD & Teaching Staff, University of Leeds 207. Poppy Gerrard-Abbott Tutor, University of Edinburgh 208. Laura Baillie, Associate Lecturer, Open University and Glasgow Caledonian 209. Emanuella Laue Christensen, PhD Candidate, Glasgow Caledonian University UCU 210. Esther Outram, PGR and Teaching Assistant, Durham University 211. Shelby Prichard, PhD Candidate and Teaching Associate, QMUCU 212. Farhan Anshary, PGR and TA, Newcastle University 213. Samantha Finnigan, Research Software Engineer, Durham University 214. Ed Garland, Part time Teacher, Aberystwyth 215. Katerina Flint-Nicol. Fixed-term Lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast 216. Katherine Kruger, Lecturer, Sussex UCU 217. Melissa Stepney, Senior Researcher, University of Oxford 218. Carys Coleman, University of Manchester 219. Fintan Calpin, PhD Student & GTA, King's College London 220. Ali Fahmi, Research Associate, University of Manchester 221. Sharleen Estampador Hughson, tutor, the University of Edinburgh 222. Thabo Huntgeburth, Research Assistant, LSE 223. George Newth, University of Bath 224. Ludovico Rella, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Durham University 225. Desy Pirmasari, Research Fellow, University of Leeds 226. Sara Roman, fixed-term contract tutor MMU UCU 227. Dr Susie Balderston, Research Fellow, University of Strathclyde 228. Harkan Kirk-Karakaya, PhD student and GTA, University of York 229. Kelly Wolfe, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Edinburgh 230. Maggie Day, hourly-paid tutor, Aberystwyth University 231. Lucy Newby, HPL, Man Met 232. Rachel Wilson, PhD GTT, Goldsmiths 233. Costanza Concetti, GTA PGR, Durham University 234. Aly Peacock, 1 1 Specialist Study Skills Support Tutor, Disability Services, Leeds University 235. Alison Pearson, Research Fellow, University of Exeter Comments from signatories: "We are worth so much more than crossing our fingers for contract extensions every 6-12 months." "I'm pregnant and my baby is due in the summer, but the stress of my fixed-term contract ending partway through my maternity leave is giving me sleepless nights. I think it's the university managers who should be struggling to sleep at night, for putting people in these kinds of positions!" "As a disabled member of staff, the stress of casualisation and precarity is destroying my health. Half of the time I wake up in the night having a panic attack and the other half of the time I wake up with a migraine. The offer we have does nothing to genuinely improve the lives of everyone struggling on insecure contacts in HE. We deserve better, and we can do better if we keep fighting. I hope all members see that and vote to reject." "I am trying to balance unpaid care work for my disabled partner with building a career in HE. Rampant casualisation makes this near impossible. I can't afford to move house every few months chasing the next contract or to keep worrying if I'll be able to pay the rent when my current contract ends. I hope that fellow UCU members vote to reject a deal that does nothing to genuinely tackle casualisation and to help struggling members in situations like mine." "I feel let down and discarded by this leadership decision. We are nowhere near anything that can be voted on in FF. This is insulting to the struggle and to casualised workers everywhere." "Been teaching on several casual contracts for last 14 years. Now I am too old to have kids, and I still don’t have a secure income." "I am soon leaving the sector because I cannot live on 6 month contracts which are a tiny fraction of full time work. I can’t rent anywhere because my income isn’t secure enough, let alone think of having my own home. When my partner lost their job I had to work six other jobs on top of teaching to make ends meet. I want to have a family in the next few years and it will be impossible to do so with working conditions like this. I hope that members reject this proposal and demand that all staff have conditions that allow them to develop liveable lives outside of work. I hope I can return to a sector I can do more than barely survive in." "Uncertainty has become unbearable." "I hear from senior permanent colleagues that they went through several years of casual work before becoming permanent, so are not sure why such a fuss is being made now. The answer is that casual contracts are becoming more and more prevalent in the sector, with it looking like many institutions are shifting towards casual contracts as a primary way academic staff are employed. The effects of casual contracts have suffocated the lives of so many of my junior colleagues throughout the country, keeping them in perpetual, stressful and expensive limbo for years, with the most realistic prospect of this limbo ending being leaving the sector. We must end this shift towards increased casualisation and make HE a sector you can build a life whilst working in." "Casualisation and precarity are ruining lives and careers - that is no exaggeration. It is destroying the mental health of some of our best and brightest, damage that is done regardless of whether or not they eventually get a permanent contract. 100% reject." "We have documented the trend and it is getting worse basically everywhere in British Higher Education. The future as it currently stands is a handful with permanent jobs and everyone else breathlessly chasing their next payslip from one short-term contract to another. We all know our choice to be this: either we continue to sacrifice years of our life and happiness in this all-consuming rat race - only to eventually leave the sector when we simply can't do it anymore. OR we stand together, in solidarity, to fight casualisation and impose another, humane, model. If a job needs doing, it deserves to be done under decent working conditions." "8 years teaching on hpl contracts that have to be renewed on a term basis. Line manager didn’t issue my contract on time this term and I didn’t get paid the expected salary in January. That’s just one of many adversities I have faced these years." "In a sector in which everyone does a huge amount of unpaid overtime, anyone with responsibilities outside of work (parents, carers, volunteers...) who is less able to spend evenings and weekends working is at a serious disadvantage. The high level of mobility and flexibility expected of HE staff is at odds with a life in which there is any other priority. This mitigates against equal opportunities, especially for people with disabilities, parents (especially mothers), carers, etc. During ten years of post-doctoral, fixed-term contracts, and as a single parent bringing up young children, I have frequently considered leaving academia for something more stable and/or financially rewarding. Unstable working conditions shouldn't be the deciding factor here." "I am professional services staff on a fixed-term contract. There is no reason for my employer to use a fixed-term contract for my position, other than to wriggle out of redundancy obligations should they decide they don't want me any more in two years' time. The use of casualised contracts in HE is causing brain-drain of staff into industry, and tacit knowledge is continually lost. REJECT this offer: we deserve, and are OWED, so much better." "I am a disabled member of staff, who has lectured and researched on hourly paid and fixed term contracts for 14 years, working three jobs in universities to survive. The universities all have the capacity to employ qualified, experienced staff on permanent contracts but choose to casualise unnecessarily. I am more published and cited than many permanent colleagues, but the department is still expected to find funds to make my (small) adjustments, which impedes progression. We are role models for disabled students and help the university with accessibility for others, without any recognition or time to do this. Please end casualisation - I dread the next ‘end of contract’ notice from HR." "Fractional contracts give no job security. Just another name for zero hours. Been on this contract yearly since 2007 - I think by now, my uni know they need me..." "Every part of the alleged 'offer' is to be rejected. As Nelson Mandela told us, these are 'talks about talks'. Members achieved a high turnout and produced strong action to reach an aim but this isn't it." "This proposal offers nothing concrete to reassure our most vulnerable members therefore it is not good enough!" "Some colleagues don’t understand: casualisation should be a priority fight. It’s coming for you all because you are letting it. Is this the kind of life you want to live? Looking for a job every year into your 50s and 60s? Because that’s the future we are facing (a present for many). And you won’t be able to pay into your USS pension or combine it with another scheme when you lose this job of yours." "The current proposals would be a joke to the pay and important hours of teaching that have already been lost. Vote REJECT, we can win a fair deal." "We have got to make it abundantly clear to employers that the status quo is shocking. I believe we have the momentum and must seize it to put an end to casualisation in our sector. Nothing short of this is simply not good enough." "Billionaires saw fortunes rise by 27% during the pandemic. Yet, more and more people are thinking about leaving academia due to stress, lack of opportunities, precarious working conditions, work pressure, and much more, with more and more PhD students worrying about eating with the rising costs. This despite the fact that Doctoral Researchers are the backbone of Higher Education, working on world-changing research that can make a real different to people’s lives, contributing knowledge and expertise, progressive insights and perspectives, doing all the hard work required to bring research ideas to maturation, while also training and teaching students. Yet, despite the fact that Doctoral Researchers do the same work as University staff, we are not afforded the same recognition, rights, protections, or pay as staff, because considered ‘students’." "I was seriously ill earlier this year and am still recovering but the lack of a contract for my teaching hours means I’ve had to keep working as I don’t get sick pay. I don’t get invited to department meetings or away days, or even Christmas lunch. I didn’t get the University “thank you” that went to all contracted staff, and I don’t get funding to present at conferences. It’s not just the lack of permanence- although that’s bad enough - it’s the lack of inclusion that’s affecting my mental health." A selection of solidarity messages form non-casualised colleagues: "Still recovering financially and as a human from 3 years of 10 month contracts (Teaching Fellow & Lecturer) - and from the abortion I made the horrendously difficult decision to have, due to crippling precariousness and lack of maternity pay designed into fixed-term, temporary employment. Full solidarity ✊🏼 Casualised colleagues urgently need a better deal. We all deserve secure working conditions and pay that keeps up with inflation." – Hannah "There is no time like the present to actively support the next generation of academics and related staff who will continue to face the dehumanized corporate greed of current management unless it is stood up to now by all of us, at all points along our career pathways, with conviction and resolve to help keep UK academia a proud profession, instead of standing on the sidelines as our avaricious and short-sighted management drives the sector headlong into a pit of unsustainable corporatized mediocrity." – Roy Albert Wogelius, Professor of Geochemistry, University of Manchester "I stand in solidarity with colleagues on casualised contracts. We need concrete measures to end casualisation, which is not reducible to zero hours contracts. I will be voting no to the employers’ proposals." – Nicola Pratt, membership secretary Warwick UCU "Consulting on these appalling proposals is a distraction from planning for an effective MAB. Only solid industrial action will get us a real terms pay rise and make a meaningful difference to our casualised colleagues." – Donna Brown, SL, Chair of RHUL UCU Branch "As a securely employed, young academic, I stand in solidarity with those on casualised contracts. They deserve better, we all deserve better, the union must push on as one." – Jill Pluquailec, Sheffield Hallam University UCU "As a national negotiator, and as someone who has spent more than 25 years of my working life without a permanent contract, I stand in solidarity with all of my casualised colleagues." – Sean Wallis, UCL UCU Branch President "Solidarity with casualised and precariously employed colleagues." – Andrea Brock, Lecturer, Sussex University "Casualised colleagues deserve better than the issue being kicked into the long grass by UCEA with a 12-month working party whose outcomes won't even be binding. Let's continue the fight!" – Mark Abel, Chair, Brighton UCU & NEC "End of uncertainty due to causualisation is good for the quality of education." – Keshab Bhattarai, President, University of Hull

North Bristol NHS Trust v R [2023] EWCOP 5 (10 February 2023)

Call for Papers: Queering Private Law Workshop