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The University and College Union this week launched a "help kit"

to advise more than 150,000 academic and related staff on fixed-term or hourly paid contracts on how to secure a full contract.

Employment legislation that came into force last year means that many non-permanent employees have the right to full contracts, but the UCU said that the use of fixed-term contracts "remains endemic".

A recent union survey revealed that 25 per cent of staff on fixed-term contracts were not invited to attend staff or departmental meetings and only 41 per cent had regular development reviews.