Lecturers burn contracts

Lecturers at one of the largest universities in the UK will today protest against new contracts that they claim threaten their jobs and academic freedom.

Staff at London Metropolitan University - created by the merger of London Guildhall and North London universities - will burn copies of the contract outside campus buildings.

The dispute began when lecturers from the former London Guildhall refused to accept contracts identical to those of their North London counterparts.

Their union Natfhe claims the terms of the new contract are too restrictive and would compromise research freedom.