Fractionals For Fair Play statement on the imposition of new fractional contracts at SOAS
FFFP statement on the imposition of new fractional contracts at SOAS
SOAS management have recently announced their intention to impose new fractional contracts in 2014-2015. FFFP condemns in the strongest terms this unilateral change in our pay and conditions. These terms have been introduced without the agreement of UCU and despite a vote of UCU fractional members which rejected the terms of this offer by 95% (on a 63% turnout). In a branch meeting of 17th July 2014, UCU further indicated its opposition to these proposals and declared its intention to seek better terms, if necessary through industrial action. The imposition of new contracts is therefore a serious attack on union recognition at SOAS.
Alongside imposing these new contracts, the School has also changed its fractional staff policy, including the list of responsibilities to be undertaken by fractional teachers. These changes were also made unilaterally and without the consultation of UCU and therefore constitute another gross breach of union recognition at SOAS.
FFFP would like to make clear its position on these new contracts and working conditions and to explain why they do not represent a sufficient improvement. Our survey of 94 fractional contracts last year found that approximately 50% of the work undertaken by fractional staff went unpaid. We also found that the situation was much worse for those teaching a low number of tutorials, for those who are required to mark essays, and for Senior Teaching Fellows. In the claim submitted through UCU and throughout the negotiations, we have also been clear that it is the hours spent on marking and preparation which represent most of the unpaid work. However, the new contracts do not come close to resolving these issues.
According to analysis based on our survey, the group of staff who would benefit most from the new contracts would be first-time GTAs teaching one tutorial per week. This relatively small part of the fractional workforce (roughly 7% of the total) would see a basic increase in pay of approximately 40%. However, even with this improvement, 54% of the hours worked by these GTAs would remain unpaid according to our survey. In fact, most of the increase in pay for these GTAs can be attributed to increased payment for office hours, not for marking and preparation.
For other types of staff, the improvement offered in the new contracts is far smaller than this. On average, the increase in paid hours would be approximately 5%. For most fractional staff, the improvement with regard to marking and preparation amounts to merely an extra 15 minutes of pay per week. No separate payment for marking outside the multiplier will be made, despite the fact that marking is very easily quantifiable and that not all fractional staff are required to mark essays.
For Senior Teaching fellows, the most exploited group of staff, the increase in pay is particularly meagre. A Senior Teaching fellow lecturing for two hours a week would see only a 4% increase in paid hours; 64% of the work they do would remain unpaid. No additional payments will be made for convening a course, despite the large amount of work this requires. A fractional lecturer will still be paid only 6 hours per week to prepare a two hour lecture, even though our survey indicates that it can take as much as 14 hours.
The School has responded by arguing that fractional staff “over-prepare” for classes and that this is the reason for the large amount of unpaid work being undertaken. Rather than increasing pay and maintaining the same level of preparation, the School has therefore sought to restrict the amount of work that fractional staff are paid to do. This is the rationale behind the new fractional staff policy. However, closer inspection of these changes reveals that they are in fact a serious attack on teaching quality at SOAS which may have the consequence of pushing more work onto already stretched permanent staff.
For example, whereas the previous policy required fractional staff to produce a lesson plan for each class, as we are taught in the Academic Development Directive (ADD) training course, the new policy makes no such requirement. Whereas the previous policy encouraged peer-observation of teaching, as is recommended by the ADD, the new policy does not. Whereas the previous policy stated that fractional staff could assist with the preparation and research of reading lists, the new policy does not mention this. Whereas the previous policy required fractional staff to respond to student queries outside of class (for example by email), the new policy does not include this. Overall, preparation for classes is now subject to a limit of one hour per hour of teaching.
Perhaps most troubling of all, whereas the previous policy expected fractional staff to attend course lectures, the new policy merely states that fractional tutors “may in exceptional circumstances” be required to attend lectures. Indeed, we already know that several major departments do not intend to require lecture attendance. This would prevent fractional staff from helping students with queries about the content of the lectures in tutorials; it would also harm the coherence between lectures and tutorials.
These changes should be recognised for what they are: as major cuts in teaching provision at SOAS. The feedback we receive from our students, permanent staff, and the Student Union indicates that every hour we work is essential for the maintenance of the high-quality education provided here. Accepting the proposed changes to fractional pay and conditions would be to acquiesce in its erosion. This is why we will continue to campaign for further improvements through UCU.
There is one final element of the new fractional contracts imposed at SOAS which merits attention. A new clause has been added under the section entitled “disciplinary procedures”. It reads as follows: “Failure to carry out your core duties as a fractional teacher is regarded by the School as a fundamental breach of your contract which would constitute gross misconduct under the School’s Disciplinary Procedures and may result in summary dismissal (without notice).”
This new “summary dismissal” clause reveals the true face of the imposed contracts. They are an attempt to deceive and intimidate fractional staff into accepting a poor deal. Even though this clause does little to change the legal position, it nevertheless says something about management’s attitude. Such is its confidence in the “substantially improved” terms on offer that the School sees fit to threaten this exploited group of staff and to discourage them from any further efforts to improve their conditions. The new academic year is just beginning; but already the School is preparing itself for a fight.
In light of these unacceptable developments, FFFP calls on all new and returning members of fractional staff to record all hours worked on time-sheets and to become full UCU members, to participate in the ongoing campaign for improved pay and conditions: www.ucu.org.uk/join
Statement by the Department of Politics and International Studies:
The Politics Department greatly values its fractional teaching staff, who are central to the delivery of high quality undergraduate teaching in the Department. As a minimum, we expect all class teachers to do all the required reading for the classes they teach as part of weekly preparation. We also expect class teachers to attend course lectures that they have not previously attended or which have been re-developed. As supervisors of fractional teachers, we expect these basic pedagogical requirements to be reflected in their contracts.