NUS ATA: Vulnerable Workers

A workshop I attended on ATA last week was about Vulnerable Workers.
Students on average are working a 17 hour week, however as many as 31.9% of students are working 19 hours or more. These statistics are very worrying, and clearly link into the higher education funding and hidden course cost debates (see other blogs).

By the very nature of our culture, student's typically fall into the vulnerable workers category. This is especially true of students engaged in agency work- the nature of this typical student job means that our work is typified by the following...
-> Low Pay/ Low Skill
-> Bullying and Harrassment
-> Cash in hand economy
-> Temporary and agency work
-> Denial of legal "employee" status
-> Trapped in profession
-> Illness- depression, lack of sleep etc

We study hard for our degrees, and it is not fair that we should have to work twice as hard to pay our way through university. If we are forced to work to get an education, the conditions that we work in shouldn't be substandard, and we should share equal rights with everyone else in the workplace.

Before now, little has been done to resolve the issue of temporary/agency work. In fact in 2006/07 more government money was spent on a campaign to encourage people to use tissues (in order to prevent the spread of the common cold)....
-> However, on Friday 22nd February 2008 over 140 MPs voted in favour of the Temporary and Agency Workers (Equal treatment) Bill, which saw the largest backbench revolt since 1997.
-> Subject to the passing of an EU directive, this bill will mean that agency workers have the same rights, including maternity and holiday pay, after 12 weeks as regular employees (unfortunately sick pay and pensions are not included).

Are you a temporary/ agency worker? Do you plan on doing temporary/ agency work in the future? Want the same rights as permanent employees?
Get involved in the campaign!
Write to your MEP and ask them to vote in favour of this directive!

If you need any help writing your letter please email me at h.jones@guild.bham.ac.uk (Subject Temporary and Agency Workers)