Anti-casualisation

Counting the costs of casualisation in higher education. Key findings of a survey conducted by the University and College UnionJune 2019

In 2018, following a UCU claim (found HERE), the University of Bath and Bath UCU branch signed a statement of intent on anti-casualisation.

This was followed in 2020 by a second joint statement between the University and Bath UCU, in response to strike action, which included a further committed to reach a collective agreement.

Negotiations are ongoing. The first phase focused upon Graduate/General Teaching Assistants (GTAs), hourly-paid teaching fellows, and the use of fixed-term contracts in teaching roles. This led to the introduction of small fractional employment contracts for GTAs and Teaching Fellows at Grade 7 gaining academic status, with the renaming as Lecturer (Teaching) staff.

The second phase focused on the use of fixed term research contracts and further action to increase the job security through the extension of open-ended contracts in both teaching and research roles. This resulted in a “ground-breaking” anti-casualisation agreement between the branch and the University of Bath in March 2023, which can be read on the University website.

  • The agreement commits to offering all Postgraduate Researchers who teach (General Teach Assistants, aka GTAs) at least 0.1 FTE, a fractional salaried post with a commitment to working towards extending this to those on less than 0.1 FTE.
  • It re-affirms the policy that where variable hours teaching fellows have exceeded 0.2FTE over the last 2 years they should be offered a fractional Lecturer / Senior Lecturer contract. This has the potential to offer a genuine route out of precarity and onto a secure career path for this group of staff.
  • The agreement commits the University ‘to making the standard fixed term contract for 2 years or more … unless external funding or local circumstances (for example, maternity cover) makes this inappropriate’, ending the use of ‘gap plugging’ one-year contracts to cover teaching.
  • It agreed the launch of a series of pilots where all members of research groups will be moved onto open-ended contracts, with a timeline to see further roll-outs following evaluations of the initial pilots (two are now up and running). If the pilots are successful, the agreement commits to a roll-out of this approach in 2024/25. This would be a first in the sector and its importance cannot be over-stated.
  • Lastly, the agreement commited to finding a solution to PhD students who are on stipends that include unpaid teaching work as a quid pro quo, which would guarantee they comply with the principles laid out in the agreement. A solution to this has since been developed and will roll-out from 2024.

For further information on the campaign contact our Anti-casualisation Officer.