A PLEA ON BEHALF OF TEMPORARY TEACHERS

I don't mean to sound sorry for myself but I am staring into an abyss of under-employment. Which has kind of taken me by surprise as I was too busy working to really think about it. Six months ago, I stepped in at the 11th hour to teach media studies at a local university and was delighted to do so. I taught years ago in London and have always hankered a little for the classroom so took a deep breath and said "yes." The initial stomach-churning fear has given way to a decent relationship with (most of) the students, the knowledge that as long as you put in the work then there's nothing really to be scared of. Plus the obvious reward of working with colleagues who value your contribution. Now the bad bit.
From Monday, I'm out on my ear. My contract is terminated -with no guarantee (although there may be promises) of work at the end of September. It's now April.
So, although I would like to carry on the part-time work I have no choice but to look for other things.And then there's the marking issue..... at the end of April I face the prospect of five days' worth of assessing complicated essays on media ethics with no extra money. Despite the fact that, again, I stepped in in February at the 11th hour and took on additional hours.
My initial glee at the rate of remuneration has given way to the realisation that the pay per hour iie £37.00 includes preparation time (so halve that) plus the expectation that I check e-mails, correspond with students etc etc . And of course I don't get sick pay......or pay in holiday time. In short, part-time staff are cheap labour for what they are actually expected to do.
Worse, such expertise as I may have acquired will go to waste if I find other work so they will have to start all over again . So students, frankly, lose out. But it suits our universities to work this way because everything is about balancing the budgets and saving money. They could pay retainers, they could give an absolute commitment to work to come. But it doesn't work that way.
Having lived the precarious life of a freelance for 17 years, I daresay work will transpire and in the meantime I'm open to offers of child-minding, cat-sitting, whatever. And scouring the red stickers in the local co-op.....