Received from: UCU
Congress notes the growth of unscrupulous employment practices used in the post-16 education. In particular, Congress notes:
i. fire and rehire at Richmond upon Thames College and New City College, and threats to use the practice at universities across the UK
ii. subsidiary companies employing staff on poorer pay and conditions at Staffordshire University, Coventry University and Falmouth University, to name a few
iii. the emerging use of MARS (Mutually Agreed Resignation Schemes) in post-16 education
iv. casualisation and agency work across the sector.
These practices are designed by employers to deny employment rights to workers and to attack pay and working conditions.
Congress supports UCU members taking strike action to oppose fire and rehire, and the transfer of staff to subsidiary companies in post-16 education.
Congress calls on the TUC to lead:
i. an industrial response, involving coordination of industrial action by unions fighting such employment practices
ii. a political response aimed at building cross-parliamentary support for legislative reform as outlined in Barry Gardiner MP’s private members bill, including removing the ban on solidarity action and the right to take industrial action without procedural requirements and restrictions
iii. a cross-sectoral campaign for a charter which captures the support of employers who commit to refusing to use fire and rehire
University and College Union