Congress motions

Motion

Motion title

Post-contract support for academics on precarious contracts

Session

2018-2019

Meeting link

HE conference

Meeting date

26 May 2019

Status

Passed

Motion

HE16

Motion text

Congress notes:

UCU reported that 54% of UK academic staff are on insecure contracts, which is 'the early careers norm'. A structural issue in HE is affecting the lives and careers of thousands of researchers and academics
research shows that precarity damages careers and mental health. Periods without employment, an institutional affiliation or a research home can lead to academics being 'pushed out of, or deterred from, an academic career'
the predominantly BAME and female precarious outsourced, non-academic workers' call for a boycott of the University of London, to pressure it to end its discriminatory practice of outsourcing
academics in precarity need immediate support.
Congress believes the fight for casualised staff in HE is directly connected to – and empowered by – the struggle of female outsourced workers for equality and justice at our universities.

Congress resolves to negotiate with universities to provide a standardised, low-resource, mutually-beneficial, post-contract support package for academics on precarious contracts and graduating PhD students, including a minimum of one year of:

a non-stipendiary research affiliation
an institutional email address
permission to deposit outputs in the institutional repository
access to online resources, CPD opportunities, shared workspaces, and support for developing funding bids on the same terms as currently employed academics
to call a boycott of events at the University of London's central administration until workers are brought in-house.

Proposing body

Senate House, University of London

Amended

Yes

Allocated to

Higher education committee (HEC)

Notes