UCU: Organisation of distance learning and other home-based staff

Motion

Motion text: Congress notes that staff in tertiary education are increasingly involved in distance learning, and there now exists a general trend towards home-based work for some employees. The transfer of work from the office or classroom to the home can cause a weakening of union links and diminished recruitment possibilities for unions.

Home-based workers have historically well-documented vulnerabilities, which arise from isolation from colleagues and remoteness from the workplace. Many distance learning staff are fixed-term or hourly-paid, and distance learning is particularly vulnerable to increased marketisation at a global level.

Home-based staff, including those who support distance learning, face particular problems that can differ those faced by an ‚Äùon-site‚Äù academic workforce.

The problem of organizing home-based employees within the democratic structures of UCU should be looked at as a issue in its own right and we call upon the National Executive Committee to establish an advisory committee to look into this.