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Natfhe has written to every new university vice-chancellor calling on them to address chronic insecurity among part-time lecturers.

The union has threatened to seek consultation on redundancy of every fixed-term member of staff if employers fail to discuss improved job security for them. This is a legal right under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, but using it in every case would create a bureaucratic problem for universities.

Tom Wilson, head of Natfhe's universities department, said: "Within 12 months the law will require that hourly-paid part-time staff should be on pro rata contracts offering genuine parity of treatment. Universities that care about being good employers should do that now."