Outsource protest at University of Sussex (From The Argus)
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Outsource protest at University of Sussex
4:38pm Friday 28th September 2012 in News
Protesters at the University of Sussex
By Jonny Barton and Sophie Turton
More than 100 students and staff protested at The University of Sussex over plans to outsource campus jobs.
Protesters fear privatisation of security and catering services will lead to inferior services for students and the possible loss of 235 jobs.
The university is planning to privatise services including estates and facilities management, residential services, catering and conferencing.
University of Sussex Student Union president Kelly McBride, said: “With catering in particular, we feel that a private company won’t cater for student’s needs as much because it is not the most profitable.”
The university said it is not intending to make redundancies but staff will be transferred to contracts with new employers.
“A lot of these staff are some of the lowest paid workers on campus,” said Luke Martell, academic staff member.
“There are various ways to make profits; one of the ways is to cut costs in pay. There is plenty of evidence for this in other places.”
The protest marched through the campus on Wednesday, September 26, passing the university administrative centre, Sussex House, as well as the workplaces of many of the affected staff.
A statement released by the university said the move to new providers will aid in the continued development and quality of its services.
“Working with external partners is the best way of enhancing and developing its estates and catering services for its staff and student.”
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Comments(6)
Plantpot
says...
8:25am Sat 29 Sep 12
Fercri Sakes wrote:TUPE protects the workers
Well if we're all going to make up the shortfall in the public finances caused by corporate tax avoidance we've all got to tighten our belts.
Who needs hospices to care for dying children when we can get DVDs 10% cheaper at Amazon? Who needs more schools, as long as we can quietly let Vodafone off a £6bn tax bill?
So glad my PAYE and VAT on everything I buy is helping to balance out the tax dodged by Topshop owner Philip Green. But I do wish I had his accountants.
If you're happy with all that then you'd better start coughing up some more of your hard earned as it's only going to get worse. Have a nice weekend!
Vodafone and Green legally avoid paying tax.
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
10:08am Sat 29 Sep 12
It's not unusual for the companies to then change T&Cs or just dump staff.
Plantpot
says...
10:57am Sat 29 Sep 12
Maxwell's Ghost wrote:When change is in the air, this stuff happens anyway.
TUPE only protects them for two years in most cases.
It's not unusual for the companies to then change T&Cs or just dump staff.
theleftygiraffe
says...
2:08pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Plantpot wrote:Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right.
Fercri Sakes wrote:TUPE protects the workers
Well if we're all going to make up the shortfall in the public finances caused by corporate tax avoidance we've all got to tighten our belts.
Who needs hospices to care for dying children when we can get DVDs 10% cheaper at Amazon? Who needs more schools, as long as we can quietly let Vodafone off a £6bn tax bill?
So glad my PAYE and VAT on everything I buy is helping to balance out the tax dodged by Topshop owner Philip Green. But I do wish I had his accountants.
If you're happy with all that then you'd better start coughing up some more of your hard earned as it's only going to get worse. Have a nice weekend!
Vodafone and Green legally avoid paying tax.
community member
says...
3:36pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Workers will no doubt be transferred to a pension scheme that will provide much worse benefits for future service. Their retirement income will be thousands of pounds down because the outsourcing company will pay less into a pension scheme, as well as eroding T&Cs when they get a chance.
Fercri Sakes says...
5:39pm Fri 28 Sep 12
Who needs hospices to care for dying children when we can get DVDs 10% cheaper at Amazon? Who needs more schools, as long as we can quietly let Vodafone off a £6bn tax bill?
So glad my PAYE and VAT on everything I buy is helping to balance out the tax dodged by Topshop owner Philip Green. But I do wish I had his accountants.
If you're happy with all that then you'd better start coughing up some more of your hard earned as it's only going to get worse. Have a nice weekend!