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Chris Kynch (Soapbox, THES, February 9) is right to urge action to help casualised staff. All too often teaching quality is maintained only at the expense of grossly overworked part-time staff, and research quality at the expense of overburdened contract researchers.

In the research recently commissioned by Natfhe from the Institute for Education on the link between quality and casualisation, the chief lesson for managers is that casualisation should be strongly resisted. Both the Association of University Teachers and Natfhe are campaigning for a better deal for part-time and contract research staff.

Natfhe has recently made some local gains by building on the national agreement with the University and Colleges Employers Association aimed at reducing fixed-term employment and promoting good practice, which will be due for review as soon as legislation changes.

The Department of Trade and Industry is shortly to produce draft regulations to implement the European Union directive on fixed-term staff. If these are deficient, Natfhe, the AUT and other unions will fund a legal challenge.

Tom Wilson
Head of universities department
Natfhe