Fighting fund banner

 

Anti-casualisation day of action, November 2014

5 November 2014

UCU is holding a day of action against casualisation in universities and colleges on Wednesday 5 November.

Spread the word

Post a photo on Twitter of you holding up our  'I support SECURE employment for ALL staff' poster [23kb] using #anticas14 or #notozerohours, or email it to us at anticasualisation@ucu.org.uk, so that we can tweet it on the day and add it to our day of action wall.

UCU is holding a day of action against casualisation in universities and colleges on Wednesday 5 November.

With all political parties wanting to be seen to act on zero-hours contracts and employers vulnerable to reputation damage, now is a great time to highlight the casualisation of our sector and push forward the argument that high quality education depends on secure contracts and continuity of employment.

UCU wants to make this our biggest yet day of action on casualisation. A chance for members and branches to put pressure on employers and politicians.

Members - how you can support the day of action: Branches across the country are organising events as part of the day of action, but you can also support it as an individual member. Nationally, the union is using the day of action as an opportunity to put more pressure on the political parties to deal properly with the scandal of zero hours contracts. Take part in our mass on the issue of eradicating zero-hours contracts and the exploitation of hourly paid staff.


On Twitter?

small X/Twitter logo 24x24

Follow @ucu
Follow @ucuanti_cas


Branch events

University of Aberdeen branch report that they are holding a drop-in clinic for any member on a fixed term or zero hours contract who has concerns about their contract, followed up with one-to-one casework support if required.

Aberystwyth University UCU are organising a drop-in at a central location between 10am-4pm.

University of Bath UCU are focussing on campaigning around back holiday pay for PTHP staff.

Birmingham City University are organising meetings for their Visiting Tutors and postgraduate students.

Blackpool and the Fylde College UCU are requesting a list of all casual staff from their employer and posting UCU leaflets to them, as well as having a stall at one of the sites for casually employed staff. They're also challenging their employer to remove exclusivity clause from the zero hours contracts.

Bradford College UCU are using the UCU template to survey hourly paid staff, requesting data on numbers of hourly paid staff, writing to their local MP and recording a series of podcasts - talking about hourly paid work.

University of Bristol UCU are holding a series of talks on issues for casualised staff, including hourly paid teachers, GTAs and those on fixed-term contracts, followed by top tips for surviving a casual contract and a 'how many contracts have you had' photo opportunity.

Calderdale College are holding an event tomorrow dinnertime in the main college foyer in Calderdale College to promote UCU's work against casualisation and to provide information to casualised staff.

Cambridge University branch are holding a stall at an induction event where they will be focusing on casualised staff.

Cardiff Metropolitan UCU will be setting up stalls on their two main campuses and sending out UCU welcoming letters to new joiners.

University of Central Lancashire branch leafleting in the run up to the day to promote an open meeting for hourly paid staff (members and non-members) followed by a members-only advice session.

Coleg Menai UCU are organising a lunchtime meeting for staff on casualised contracts

Coventry University UCU are organising a tea and cake social for their hourly paid lecturers.

Falmouth University branch are organising a free lunch for all hourly paid members in the main canteen on campus, supported by the local student union, and leafleting all staff with management responsibility with UCU guidance on supporting hourly-paid staff.

University of Glasgow UCU will be holding a meeting of staff on casual contracts and a Know Your Rights Session at 12-1pm in the Gannochy, Wolfson Medical Building. A sandwich lunch will be provided.

Glasgow Caledonian University UCU are holding a Stall 12-2pm in Hamish Wood Reception and a drop in session W207 1.30-2pm.

Gower College Swansea will have a stall in the foyer of Tycoch campus tomorrow between 8.45 and 11am.

Hackney Community College UCU are holding a stall on the campus with campaign materials and asking staff and students to have their photo taken with a 'I support fair pay/am against zero hour contracts' placard.

Lancaster University UCU is holding a lunchtime drop-in session for members on fixed term and hourly paid contracts - Faraday seminar room 4, 1.00 - 2.00pm. A formal request to management to commence negotiations on a long awaited fixed term contract policy and career progression for research staff is also being communicated that day.

University of Leeds branch are holding a series of meetings for GTAs and staff on fixed-term contracts, including a social event, afternoon tea, sharing testimony about life on casual contracts and the launch of a survey.

Liverpool University will be launching a survey for staff on casual contracts to find out their priorities for negotiation and campaigning on this issue and plan to have a recruitment stall with a lunch time rally of members as part of their joint campaign against zero hours contracts with Liverpool John Moores UCU.

Llandrillo College UCU will be in the college main reception with a stand promoting the union and showing support for staff on short term and fractional contracts as part of their campaign to move staff to permanent contracts.

Middlesex University UCU are holding a lunchtime meeting for casualised staff

Manchester University UCU are organising an open meeting and launching a survey of fixed-term contract staff

Manchester Metropolitan University UCU are organising meetings for casualised staff across their campus

Northampton University UCU are marking  the day by circulating the UCU Survey  of Hourly Paid Staff. The branch intends to use the findings of this survey to press  for a n improvement in casualised staff's terms and conditions.

Northumbria University branch are holding two meetings for non-members among the Associate Lecturers, asking them what their issues are and showing how UCU can help.

University of Nottingham UCU are organising a café morning at Trent Café on University Park and Aspire Café on Jubilee Campus, where staff on fixed-term, casual and zero-hour contracts will be able to share their experiences and voice their concerns, and permanent staff will have the opportunity to show their solidarity.
 
Oxford Brookes University are organising a lunchtime meeting for hourly paid and other casualised staff

University of Oxford UCU are leafleting their science area, where there are high concentrations of members on casualised contracts.

Queen's University Belfast are organising a lunchtime meeting for hourly paid and other casualised staff

Sheffield Hallam University branch are launching a report based on their survey of staff on zero hours contracts as part of their campaign to persuade the university to abandon this form of contract.

University of Stirling UCU are organising a recruitment stall for casualised staff

Stockport College UCU are organising a lunchtime meeting including a surgery for hourly paid staff.

Sunderland University UCU are planning an open meeting on - including non-members - on hourly or fixed term contracts as well as printing UCU anti-casualisation posters to display in all main buildings.

Surrey University UCU will be holding a meeting for casualised staff, recruitment drive via posters and emails sent to hourly-paid staff. Photo campaign getting members to pose with UCU 'I support secure employment' posters.

University of Warwick UCU's Hourly-Paid Working Group will be launching a survey for casual staff (who make up 30% of Warwick staff) with lots of posters around the campus as a springboard into a bigger campaign which will run through the year.

University of the West of England branch are organising three similar meetings, one on each campus, with a video link between the three sites where they will be sharing '10 top tips' for those on fixed term and part-time/occasional contracts.

Keep the reports coming in as it's shaping up to be a big day!


Last updated: 8 February 2022