Category Archives: Anticasualisation

The Precarious Postdoc: Interdisciplinary Research and Casualised Labour in the Humanities and Social Sciences

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

This important piece of work by Catherine Oakley, UCU University of Leeds member, and Sophie A Jones shows the mess of precarity facing postdocs, specifically in Humanities and Social Sciences but notes many of these bad practices started in Stem subjects, and proposes how faculty research leads, funding bodies and university senior management teams can fix these problems. The local UCU committee and UCU anticasualisation reps will work hard to try to get these recommendations implemented at the University of Leeds. We all deserve job security. http://www.workingknowledgeps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/WKPS_PrecariousPostdoc_PDF_Interactive.pdf   … continue reading

Anti-casualisation update

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

PGR open meeting Monday 9 April, 9–11am, 28 University Rd, LT G.23 This meeting is for all postgraduates (members and non-members) and is an important step in building the campaign for fair pay, terms and conditions for all postgraduates who teach or who work in paid research and related roles at the university. It will cover three main areas: Focus on postgrad elements of the Uni of Leeds UCU branch anticasualisation claim: what do postgrads want and need? Building on the energy of the recent strikes (and what the strikes tell us about casualisation!) Recruitment and the free postgrad membership (reminder: www.ucu.org.uk/free) There will be vegan cake too! Members are asked to let all postgrads know about this meeting and the free postgraduate membership offer. Please email with suggestions for agenda items/questions about the meeting (k.l.zezulka@leeds.ac.uk) and please share with PGRs in your school. Anticasualisation campaign and roadshow planning As part of the open meeting on 9 April, we will be discussing organising a UCU anticasualisation roadshow. We will be organising a local event to discuss, debate and explore issues related to casualisation and precarity in HE and FE. There is lots of information on the UCU Stamp Out webpages … continue reading

Open meeting: casualisation and gender pay gap

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

Wednesday 8 November, 1pm – 2pm Baines wing 1.13 As part of our work putting together a claim on the gender pay gap at the University of Leeds and tackling the casualisation of jobs at the University of Leeds we’d like to invite you and any other staff to a meeting on Wednesday to discuss these issues. Please pass this on to any colleagues who may have an interest in these issues (and who doesn’t have an interest in equal pay and permanent jobs?!). This meeting is open to non-members as well as members. Concerned about the gender pay gap? Fixed term? Hourly paid? Agency? Variable or Zero hours? All of the above? We want to hear about the experiences of staff at Leeds on these kinds of contracts. Permanent, salaried member of staff? This meeting is also for you to learn more about issues facing your colleagues & to share ideas. UCU is committed to equal pay and to fighting the abuses faced by staff on casualised contracts within further and higher education. We hope that all members will support these campaigns and stand with colleagues on casual contracts to put an end to such abuse. Casualisation + Gender … continue reading

Valentine’s day report

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

Many staff enthusiastically joined in writing their valentine messages on heart shaped stickers for the Vice Chancellor on Friday 12th February. Here’s the inside of the Valentine’s card towards the end of the lunchtime session: The card, and a lovely chocolate heart inscribed with the words “We’d love a pay rise” were taken to the VC on Friday afternoon. Sadly, he was too busy to see us, but we understand he likes chocolate, and we hope he enjoyed reading your messages. The serious point of course is that university staff have suffered real terms pay cuts for some years, and it’s time we caught up. It’s been in the news recently that many Vice Chancellors have seen considerable pay rises, so it seems only fair their staff are treated similarly. UCU hopes that university employers, including our own university management, will see the sense of this and agree to a fair pay rise in the imminent 2016 pay negotiations. For more about pay, read our short leaflet Fair pay in 2016. … continue reading

Meeting of all members on fixed-term or casual contracts

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

UCU is holding a meeting of all staff on casualised contracts on: Friday 19 February 2pm – 3pm Baines Wing SR 1.13. Casualised contracts include fixed term contracts, hourly paid, zero hours, agency contracts – essentially if you are not on a permanent, salaried contract this means you! If you are already on a permanent, salaried contract, please do feel free to pass the word on and encourage members whose working conditions have been casualised to attend. There will be two main areas of linked discussion: Leeds UCU campaign for secure employment for all staff: UCU has recently written to the university demanding more progress on job security and adding weight to our local requests for improvements. UCU’s national Annual Meeting of Staff on Casualised Contracts, 11 March, UCU head office (London): delegates, self-registration, and motions. The Annual Meeting is convened by the UCU anti-casualisation committee. It a very important opportunity for the voices of casualised staff at the grassroots level to be heard. Motions passed by this meeting will inform the priorities of the UCU anti-casualisation committee (ACC) for the coming year, and will also direct the ACC on the content of motions that should be sent to Congress … continue reading