Campaign update: 3 May 2013

FAQ: Less favourable treatment of fixed-term staff • Workload is an Education Issue: Download the Song! • UCU in your Workplace: petition, leaflet, survey • UCU in the news • Events and other news

Dear all,

Welcome to this week's UCU Campaigns Update.

1. Your questions answered - Less favourable treatment of fixed-term staff
2. Workload is an Education Issue: Download the Song!
3. UCU in your Workplace: petition, leaflet, survey
4. UCU in the news
5. Events and other news

1. Your questions answered - Less favourable treatment of fixed-term staff:

I am on a fixed-term contract and I think I'm being treated less favourably than my permanent colleagues. Could I make a claim under the law around fixed-term contracts?
ucu.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/91/kw/Grievance

2. Workload is an Education Issue: Download the Song!

Former Housemartin Ted Key has written and recorded a song in support of UCU's Workload campaign, which you can listen to here or, for just 79p you can download this song from iTunes. Let's get the issue out there!
workload.web.ucu.org.uk/

3. UCU in your Workplace: petition, leaflet, survey:

Members in Further Education are reminded to sign the petition calling for a fair pay offer here:
www.ucu.org.uk/2013fepaypetition
Members in HE can download a new leaflet, 10 reasons why you should support the campaign for a fair deal, here:
www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/p/2/HE_10_reasons_poster.pdf
HE members who are engaged in research are also reminded to take part in our REF survey, for the chance to win an Acer Iconia 10.1 Tablet:
www.ucu.org.uk/refsurvey2013

4. UCU in the news:

In the week when for-profit apprenticeship provider Elmfield Training was slammed for delivering appalling qualification rates while paying shareholders dividends out of public subsidies, UCU warned that the government's proposals to regulate for-profit higher education still rigged the market in favour of private companies. For the Elmfield story, click here:
feweek.co.uk/2013/05/02/providers-appalling-pass-rate/
For the proposed regulation of for-profit higher education, click here:
www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/...2003589.article

In other news, the BBC looked into the problem of zero-hours contracts on the World At One on Wednesday and spoke to staff in both further and higher education. The Guardian looked at the problems facing staff being forced to make way for research stars as universities gear up for the REF. Meanwhile Salford University kept its unenviable tag as Britain's most prolific institution when it comes to axing staff. Read more here:
Zero hours contracts on World At One - tinyurl.com/d9qrcpf  (starts at 31:44)
REF consequences - tinyurl.com/czvdsk5
Salford - tinyurl.com/czz56dn

5. Events and other news:

• NUT/NASWUT joint rallies to protect teachers and defend education - As teachers continue to face attacks on pay, pensions and working conditions, the NUT and NASWUT unions are staging a series of rallies and publicising the 'Gove Versus Reality' website as part of their joint 'Protecting Teachers, Defending Education' campaign. UCU members are encouraged to show solidarity with our sister unions.
  Rally details: www.teachers.org.uk/rallyforeducation
  Website: www.goveversusreality.com/
• Black members newsletter - the latest newsletter from the Black Members Standing Committee can be downloaded here:
  www.ucu.org.uk/blackmem
• New Amnesty appeal on behalf of imprisoned Bahraini teacher trade unionist - please sign a new Amnesty appeal calling for the release of Madhi Abu Dheeb, the leader of the Bahraini Teachers' Association, www.amnesty.org.uk/Mahdi
• (HE) UCU is seeking application for the USS pensioner director - Any USS member interested in being considered for one of the 3 UCU positions on the board of trustees (4 year term) should contact: Geraldine Egan, UCU Pensions Birmingham Office, 2nd Floor Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TT. Phone 0121 634 7387 or email pensions@ucu.org.uk   Closing date for applications is 24th May 2013 at noon.
• Review of part-time and mature higher education: Help UCU respond to a new review of part-time and mature higher education - bit.ly/16uu7mg   Send your comments to Rob Copeland, UCU policy officer rcopeland@ucu.org.uk  by no later than 13 May.

All the best

Justine Stephens
Head of Campaigns