Today the Bristol UCU twitter is being ‘taken over’ by a group of fixed-term contract staff to highlight how coronavirus is affecting our job security and employment prospects. #FTCs #CoronaContract #anticas #antiprecarity #casualisation /1

In April, a group of 65 University of Bristol employees on fixed-term contracts, from across teaching and research positions, met online. #FTCs 2/

I’ll be tweeting today with examples of the concerns we raised. (This is @RyanDavey284 using the Bristol UCU account to relay concerns from the rest of our FTC group.) #FTCs 3/

Our experiences have prompted us to call our branch to take a position to protect those on fixed-term contracts across the university. This includes teaching, research, academic, and professional services staff. #FTCs 4/

This echoes wider calls across our sector to address casualised and precarious employment in universities
@UCUAnti_Cas @UoK_Precariat @zenscara @DrJoGrady
@USSbriefs @scouseprecariat @Durhamcasuals @WarwickAntiCas @PrecariousBrum @CasualsLeeds @Glasgowanticas @CoronaContract 5/

... @FFFPsoas @essexgtas @PanPrecariat @PandemicPGRs @UoNCasuals @UcuLeft @UCU_RankFile @CymruPrecarity #FTCs 6/

Due to a wide variety of employment contracts and equally varied lives outside work, the issues that the coronavirus emergency presents to staff on fixed-term contracts vary enormously. #FTCs 7/

At the meeting of staff in teaching and research roles, members mentioned the following as particular difficulties: #FTCs 8/

In previous years, a number of fixed-term teaching staff had their contracts renewed from year to year. They perform core duties and had a reasonable expectation of renewal this year. #FTCs 9/

However, they now face uncertainty about the coming academic year and the following one because of potential changes in student admissions and the current suspension of recruitment. #FTCs 10/

Several teaching staff on successive fixed-term contracts had been in discussion with senior management in their School/Department about a move to permanent contracts, but they have now been told that their contracts will not be renewed. #FTCs 11/

For staff in all kinds of roles whose contracts run out in the next year, it will be very difficult to obtain work due to the current decision to freeze recruitment at our university and other universities across the sector. #FTCs 12/

Fixed-term staff across teaching and research are already being asked to take on additional duties. #FTCs 13/