UCU: Reinforcing organising for improved research staff conditions

Motion

Motion text: Conference notes:
1. The policies adopted and guidance produced in support of sustainable research careers
2. That UCU has had little success in bringing employers to move research staff onto secure contracts, with the numbers on fixed-term contracts remaining relatively static
3. That moves by some employers to move staff from FTC to open ended contracts with an identified 'at risk' date does not necessarily improve security of employment
4. Staff require paid time to adapt careers to changing conditions, such as the Climate and Ecological Emergency
5. We need new ways to pressure employers to meaningly engage, nationally and locally, on this issue.
Conference resolves to:
a. Assess support for research staff at each institution, with a view to ranking employers on levels of support
b. identify and share examples of better practice
c. update current materials on supporting research staff and develop a Research Staff manifesto that we can use as a campaigning and negotiating tool.