Andrew Ward (Barking and Dagenham College)

Andrew Ward (Barking and Dagenham College) 

Election address 

I am a support worker at Barking and Dagenham College (BDC), working on a term-time only contract. The first four years of my ten years at BDC was as a zero hours agency worker. I fully understand the devastating effects that precarious contracts can have on our health, well-being, career prospects, and personal lives.  

I am also an activist and current NEC member who has successfully campaigned for real change in workload and stress, resulting in new policy and the introduction of Health and Safety Executive  stress management standards throughout our organisation. If elected, I will push for stronger protections and a bolder approach to tackling the issues of precarious contracts.  

Despite a multitude of studies that evidence the stress and anxiety caused by insecure work, our employer continues to exploit educators, putting us at risk. In 2016 UCU reached out to 220 FE colleges, urging them to commit to secure employment practices. Shockingly, 120 colleges failed to respond, and of those who responded, only 30 made meaningful commitments. Since then, little has changed, and it's clear that unless we take action, our employers will continue to exploit every loophole available.  

Upcoming government legislation may fall short of fully addressing the problem of zero-hours and other exploitative contracts. In the absence of sufficient action, we must continue to fight back - both on a legislative front and by minimising the harm these contracts cause in the meantime.  

We need to protect educators and I propose we look to Health and Safety regulations as a strategy to tackle this issue. Best practice models should be formulated [and introduced in local claims] to minimise the risk of harm to health and create more secure employment for FE teaching staff, and support staff, who are paid minimum wage and often have to rely on government subsidies to survive. Until adequate government legislation is formulated, the fight to eradicate precarious contracts, paying particular attention to the intersectionality of casualisation, must continue. A vote for me would give us the opportunity to add another point of attack on the use of precarious contracts.  

A vote for me is a vote for action on this vital issue. Let's make sure our voices are heard and create real, lasting change. In an effort to secure that change I will be voting for Dyfrig Jones as Vice President and Andrew Feeney as Honorary Treasurer and would encourage you to do the same. Please offer your 1 and 2 votes to Josh Spears and Linda Littler in the UK-elected FE positions; we are all on one page when striving for the best for our members.  

Together, we can push for greater security and dignity for all workers in our sector.