On the need to investigate the situation of casual academic work in new times

Abstract

Universities in Australia are subject to the increasingly neoliberal workplace trends associated with industrial reform (IR). A notable feature of the Australian workplace in new times, reflected in universities, is the increased casualisation of the workforce. This article reports on the findings of an investigation into the situations of the ever-growing number of academics employed on a casual basis, and to consider the possible effects of these on the long-term career prospects of casual academic staff.