Comments on: A fifth of academic staff on casual contracts struggle to put food on the table

By: fighting-zero

fighting-zero — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:43:19 +0000

Peem’s comments suggest some previous bad experience with a union?
My ucu branch works very hard on behalf of individual members – it has done a lot to help those on zero hours contracts but as others have said, everything at national level is made difficult by Tory govt.
My job was simply taken away from me several year ago – and it was only because of the full year of help I got from UCU that the institution finally backed down and agreed I was “permanent” and paid my back salary.
We need unions – not only to fight for national change – but to offer help and support to workers who are otherwise simply ignored by their employers. There is strength in numbers and I for one will always be thankful that I have union membership.

By: Peem Birrell

Peem Birrell — Tue, 26 May 2015 21:16:00 +0000

In reply to Dark_Heart_of_Toryland.

Don’t think many of the TUs we’re stuck with today are needed. Using anti-TU legislation as an excuse to avoid doing anything positive for their members or potential members.

Instead of tackling the issues and the employers they pay wonks to produce pathetic reports or organise anti-austerity demonstrations. And when was this person ever a *member* of ‘her’ union?

By: Sparky

Sparky — Tue, 26 May 2015 17:09:00 +0000

In reply to Chris Kitcher. Or what? Sally Hunt will burst into tears? She'll take her ball home and not let anyone else play? Jesus, how sanctimonious can a person get?

By: Dark_Heart_of_Toryland

Dark_Heart_of_Toryland — Tue, 26 May 2015 17:02:00 +0000

In reply to Peem Birrell. It shows why the unions are needed. It is no coincidence that levels of inequality have rocketed to todays grotesque levels since Thatcher shackled the unions.

By: montypython

montypython — Tue, 26 May 2015 15:52:00 +0000

This is accurate and disturbing but it’s only half the story. What this post doesn’t mention is the large number of baby boomer academics (and older) who continue to enjoy the privileges and pleasures (“the quiet intellectual life” as Sally puts it) of a tenured or secure life long contract, often outsourcing their teaching and mundane research to the kinds of casual wage slaves mentioned in this article. Not to mention the emeritus academics who seem to think they can soak up resources literally till they die.

Who is allowing “the exploitative use of casualised contracts” as Sally puts it? It’s other academics.

Academe is a two tier system which relies on the exploitation of junior academics by their senior colleagues. Yes, many professions are like that now, but I wonder what the UCU has done to address the issue that a number of their members are treating other members so badly?

By: Chris Kitcher

Chris Kitcher — Tue, 26 May 2015 15:41:00 +0000

That’s a particularly callous comment given the heartless manner in which her members are treated. Please think before making such comments in future.

By: Peem Birrell

Peem Birrell — Tue, 26 May 2015 15:31:00 +0000

>A report released today by my union, the University and College union, reveals how more than two-fifths (42 per cent) of staff on casual contracts in universities and colleges have struggled to pay household bills. Over a third (35 per cent) reported that they struggled to meet rent or mortgage demands and an alarming one in five (21 per cent) said that they had struggled to put food on the table.

Shows how good your union is…