Universities are accused over ‘hire and fire’ temporary contracts

SCOTTISH universities have been accused of using damaging “hire and fire” temporary contracts to employ staff.

A new survey named a number of universities north of the Border as being amongst the worst culprits in the UK for “insecure” contracts such as fixed-term, hourly paid and zero hours.

Among those highlighted by the UCU Scotland lecturers’ union included the universities of Stirling, Edinburgh, Dundee, Abertay, Queen Margaret and the Royal Conservatoire, in Glasgow.

Mary Senior, lead official for the Scottish branch of the UCU, said the report highlighted the existence of a culture of insecurity “flourishing” in many Scottish universities.

She said: “The worst offenders employ a large majority of their teaching staff on insecure contracts. We know that someone’s ability to do a good job is compromised if they are on an insecure contract.”

However, some of those named hit back at the study, arguing the data was outdated and that some temporary contracts were legitimate.

A spokeswoman for Stirling University said: “We are committed to providing fair employment practices while achieving necessary flexibility in the workforce.

“The university employs the majority of our staff on open-ended contracts and other staff contracts include flexible contracts and activity-based contracts. Staff on these contracts have access to a range of employment benefits.”

A spokesman for Abertay University said: “The report itself admits its data is up to three years old and that many universities, ourselves included, were already changing for the better even then.

“Our normal practice now is to offer fractional contracts on the same pay and grade structure as full-time staff.”

A spokesman for Edinburgh said: “We do not employ staff on hours-to-be-notified contracts and this has been the case since 2014.”

A spokeswoman for the Royal Conservatoire said: “Our contracts are variable-hours contracts, which give staff the flexibility as well as all the security, sick pay, annual leave and employment rights protection as other members of staff.”

In January, the UCU wrote to universities asking them to stop using zero-hours contracts and to work with the union to review the use of non-permanent contracts.