Source: Tertiary Education Union
Members of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) are worried about how gig work has become a norm for thousands of people working in universities. These insecure jobs impact student learning and put the health of universities as institutes of research at risk.
Finn Illsley-Kemp, a senior research fellow whose research focuses on natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes, is on his fourth fixed-term contract in eight years and says that the dual employment system at work in Aotearoa New Zealand universities creates a two-tier system and a growing resentment amongst research fellows.
“Research staff on fixed-term contracts make up a big proportion of staff and bring in massive funding for the universities, and many of our permanent colleagues aren't aware of our insecurity. We supervise students and bring prestige with our research, but we're treated differently to staff on permanent contracts.
“I've heard of research staff being left off work Christmas party invites, not being considered for roles that come up and when their long-term contracts finish, they’re just left to walk out the door with not a word of thanks or acknowledgement for their contribution.”
Illsley-Kemp sits on the New Zealand Volcano Science Advisory Panel and when Lake Taupō showed signs of volcanic activity back in 2022, he was a go-to spokesperson explaining the risks to the public.
Part of his work is to supervise the next generation of natural disaster researchers – PhD and science masters' students. One hundred percent of his work is funded by government research grants that he applies for himself.
“In the past there was a pathway to permanent jobs, but there seems to be no support or investment in researchers now. It doesn't paint a positive picture for the future of research in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Cassie McTavish is a university tutor who says that while she loves her teaching work and her students, her permanent part-time work means variable hours each semester and for 3 months of the year she has no pay because the contracts don’t cover the summer period.
“It’s accepted as a normal function of the role I do. I know there is work over the summer I could be doing, but it’s not budgeted for. I go to MSD in this period so I can support my daughter and myself. It also means I don’t accumulate holiday pay or leave; I’m forced to take it each year.”
Cassie’s role is very much a student-facing one and she says she loves the work.
“I love supporting my students to learn and I know that when I’m not there, they don’t get that support because I’m the tutor they trust and have developed the working relationship with.”
She and her colleagues have a term for the contracts they're on – 'Frankenjobs.'
“It’s an ad-hoc work monster created by difficult employment conditions. I feel undervalued in the work I do with students.”
Dr Antonia Verstappen, TEU Industrial and Professional Committee Vice President (Tiriti), says this sort of insecure work creates massive risks for the health of universities and their staff and it is why the TEU are claiming for secure work in this year’s collective agreement bargaining across all universities.
“Valuable and sometimes life-saving research is done by researchers at universities all over Aotearoa New Zealand who are on precarious fixed-term employment contracts. Their work and research underpins generations of professionals and brings solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face around climate change, disaster management, medicine and more. These are highly trained people who want to contribute to our country, and we need their skills. Our institutions need to come to the table to end this practice of precarious employment.”
She says that such employment practices affect people wanting to start families.
“These colleagues are too worried about how parental leave will fit into their short-term or rolling contracts, and if they will have a job to come back to.
“We call on universities to respect and value their staff by providing security of employment – this is the right thing to do for staff and students.”