I'm striking because insecure academic contracts are ruining my mental health

I'm striking because insecure academic contracts are ruining my mental health | Sarah Darley

I love my job, but the yearly search for new work is harming my health and forcing me to put my life on hold

This week, staff in 60 universities across the UK have been on an eight-day strike over pensions, pay and employment conditions. This has included growing casualisation in universities – which, as a researcher employed on a fixed-term contract, is my life.

I’m not alone. A recent University and College Union (UCU) survey reported that 70% of the 49,000 researchers in higher education are currently employed on fixed-term contracts, as are 37,000 teaching staff (the majority of whom are paid hourly).

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