TUC builds on links to students

The TUC is to help students get advice from trade unions. From the start of the next academic year the TUC "Know your rights" number (0870 600 4882) will be printed on every National Union of Students (NUS) membership card.

The initiative was announced last month by Brendan Barber, deputy general secretary of the TUC, the first TUC official to address an NUS conference. Barber said the aim was to achieve a "seamless transition from NUS card to union card".

A recent survey by the Labour Research Department for the TUC found that nearly three-quarters of students are having to work just to survive, with significant numbers taking jobs in call centres and care homes, where turnover is high and low pay is common.

However, Barber added on a more positive note that more workers are also returning to study. "Initiatives like the University for Industry and the TUC's commitment to lifelong learning mean that more and more workers see studying as an integral part of their career. It is a trend we are keen to encourage."