Delegates passed a motion calling for the abolition of ‘zero-hours contracts’ in which academics are employed on an ad hoc basis with no guarantee of teaching within a year. The use of unpaid postgraduates to carry out seminars was also condemned.
Times Higher Education Supplement

I recognise the former, but where does the latter occur? I knew things were variably bad, but I wasn’t aware that parts of the academy had descended to the level of using unpaid labour for seminar teaching...

Update—in related news: ‘The University of Birmingham has withdrawn a job advertisement for an “honorary” unpaid research assistant after critics claimed the position was exploitative. The position... required applicants to commit to working at least two days a week on a “voluntary basis”...’ Clearly they should have called it ‘non-stipendiary’.

Update—and another one...