Image: Tim Pierce [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr
Data revealing how many academics are employed on zero-hours contracts has been released for the first time amid a dispute over the extent of casual contracts at universities.
Staff data collated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that 6,520 academic staff were on zero hours contracts in 2017-18, out of a total of 211,980 academic staff working in higher education. Employees on zero-hours contracts are not obliged to accept work, and employers are not required to offer a minimum number of hours.
There has been an ongoing disagreement over the extent of casual work in the higher education workforce between the University and College Union, which represents staff, and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.
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