Dear Ant (and any other graduate students who might be working on an
hourly paid basis),
You do, in fact, have two unions you are entitled to join. One is the
National Union of Students and the other is UCU. Most graduate students
I know are members of NUS and, while this might secure discounts at
local shops etc, it won't be fighting for your rights as hourly paid
staff, nor does it offer free work-related legal advice in the event
that you might require it. I do know that my local UCU is currently
engaged in near constant dialogue with the University to secure rights
for hourly paid staff, which did seem to slip off the agenda during pay
modernisation. The more hourly paid staff there are in UCU, the more
likely it is that their voices will be heard - and they are a growing
presence within the UK HE sector. Hourly paid members are also standing
for election to the UCU Executive Committee. My advice is to find out if
your department has a UCU rep and get their opinion on whether it is
worth joining.
Cheryl
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Storey AI
Sent: 01 March 2007 17:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: how much is your VC worth?
On a related point Ant, speaking of the people lower down the chain of
command who have to shoulder the burden of university work: we've heard
a lot recently about the university lecturers pay dispute, and we're all
aware of what a strong force for the good the UCU and its antecedents
were in negotiating a fair settlement for faculty. I'm sure graduate
students are grateful for the sacrifices our colleagues have made to
ensure a better deal for us when we get academic posts. But what about
those unrepresented hordes of graduate students in the UK who mark
papers, take tutorials and seminars and lead field classes? Like junior
faculty, the pay's not good and we get taken for a ride a lot. Unlike
junior faculty, we have no union, no representation, no recourse.
Ad-hoc teaching is underpaid and the people who do it undervalued. Our
sole channel for redress is directly to the employer with no collective
voice.
Lecturers have the UCU. VCs have their own little club, I'm sure - I
forget the acronym. In North America, graduate TAs very often have
collective bargaining rights. In the UK we have nothing. Why?
Andy
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ant Ince
Sent: 01 March 2007 09:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: how much is your VC worth?
from THES: http://www.thes.co.uk/upload/2035374/VCpay0506.pdf
ant
--
Anthony Ince
Research Student
Department of Geography,
Queen Mary, University of London,
Mile End,
E1 4NS
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/student/ince.html
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