Whatever happens over the next six months or so, it’s very likely that the number of new students entering the higher education system will be down. UNISON, alongside other trade unions, students’ unions and industry watchers all recognise that this could become a major problem. Our branch is supporting UNISON’s campaign to defend higher education with a significant financial package…
No allowances for working from home
We’ve asked about whether the University would be willing to make payments to cover the additional costs of working from home. Their response was that whilst people can claim for “legitimate expenses, such as paper and printing”, the cost pressures the University is under mean that there’s no ability to fund general costs, such as utility bills etc. Obviously we’re…
No new money for universities – what does that mean for us?
The government has effectively announced that it will not bail out universities in financial difficulty. Instead, the proposal is to bring forward funds from student loans to aid cash-flow and implement a cap on student numbers, so that the more attractive institutions do no recruit significantly more students at the expense of other universities. If these measures represent the only…
COVID-19 Update, Friday 24th April
As we near the end of the fifth week, there’s a load of stories in the media about the future of higher education. We’ve been debating the possibilities, but it’s probably still too early to say whether students will physically be in the University’s buildings in September. If that does not happen, or maybe even if it does, there’s still…
Coronavirus update – four weeks of unprecedented change
It’s now been four weeks since the University closed most of its buildings, moved teaching on-line and asked most of us to begin working from home. WFH has become a new, common acronym, as many of us have got used to not travelling to and from work. It makes you appreciate the small geographical area you circulate within if you…
Latest Coronavirus news, Friday 3rd April
It’s starting to feel more like the “new normal” now, as we hit the end of the first fortnight of working from home (WFH), working on a very quiet university site or at home with little or no work to do, depending on your circumstances. It’s still a very odd situation and obviously a very tragic one for those with…
Coronavirus latest, Thursday 26th March
Four days into a totally different way of working, it’s definitely not “business as usual”. For many people struggling to work at home, trying to juggle multiple issues and problems is massively stressful and for some, the sense of isolation is having a serious effect on wellbeing. We recognise that these circumstances are totally different from anything any of us…
Coronavirus – update as at Tuesday 24th March
Events are now moving so quickly that what we thought made sense a few days ago is now definitely not something we should be doing. All University workers should now be either working from home, unable to work for a variety of reasons, or carrying out essential work only at the University. If you are still working on site,…
Coronavirus – update at 20th March 2020
Events are moving very quickly, but it’s clear that the University will be moving to remote working from the end of today, Friday 20th March. As it stands, there are still some unanswered questions, such as casual pay, but all University employees with a contract will continued to be paid in full and you will be placed in one of…
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The situation is changing very quickly, but we’ll use our blog to keep our members updated as much as we can. For starters, and to play catch up, here’s a message which went out on Tuesday morning, with more to follow…. Many members are understandably worried and concerned about the situation and the University’s response to it. In a…