Education, Careers & Professional News
Part-Time Lecturers At Open University fights for rights
Furious part-time lecturers at the Open University have forced their union into a rethink over a pay settlement they believe has sold them out. They are now engaged in an acrimonious dispute to oust their branch officers.
The 7,700 part-time lecturers, known as associate lecturers, are the OUs public face throughout the UK, tutoring students and giving them phone and email support. They are typically paid 3,200 to teach a nine-month course and many have other jobs in universities or colleges.
A pay modernisation agreement negotiated with the OU by local officials of the Association of University Teachers was welcomed by full-time staff and featured in a full page advertisement placed by the union in the Times Higher Education Supplement. It described the OU as top of the class (commended).
But representatives of the associate lecturers complained the deal left them well behind the rates for the universitys 1,100 full-time academic staff.
Nevertheless branch officers pressed ahead with a ballot of part-time members. The ballot secured a majority in favour of the deal, but this has not been officially released because of a dispute over whether it was valid.
The row developed with associate lecturers calling an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the branch, which called for the ballot to be scrapped. When this was rejected they petitioned to oust the branch president, Brenda Jarvis, and fellow officers.
Sources : Online Resources