UCU: Understanding casualisation by learning technology

Motion

Motion text: Congress notes:
1. Rapid growth of learning technology in post-16 education.
2. Proliferation of casualised gig economy jobs, highly surveilled employment relationships often mediated by apps
3. Incursion of international learning technology organisations bringing exploitative employment models from Big Tech.
4. Increased reuse of recorded or pre-written materials rather than interactive teaching and learning
Congress resolves:
a. UCU will commission research into learning technology and ‘tech platforms’ across all sectors we represent to investigate:
• Key threats of increased casualisation
• Surveillance elements affecting employees’ autonomy, wellbeing and privacy rights
• Contextual particularities of HE, FE, ACE, Prison Education
• Successful campaigns by trade unions experienced in performing rights (e.g. BECTU/Prospect, the NUJ) to defend members’ rights.
b. The brief for this commissioned research will be formulated in close partnership with the Anti-Casualisation Committee
c. Findings of this research will inform a national campaign for fighting casualisation and deterioration of working conditions arising from new learning technology