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Conference park / hotel outsourcing

We are very concerned about the university’s plan to force conference park and hotel staff to move to a private company that. UNISON believe the changes will mean:

  • Lower wages, sick pay, reduced or no overtime rates and bank holiday pay for new starters creating a 2 tier work force (this is what HR and the director of HAS themselves told us they wanted in pay talks – we rejected the changes before and we reject them now).
  • More staff dismissed under capability procedures as work load is increased, particularly hitting staff as they get older or those staff with underlying health conditions.
  • Increased Bullying and Harassment of staff as the new company try to get rid of employees on existing contracts to replace them with minimum wage staff.
  • A reorganization of staff transferred over at some point in the future to cut their pay and Terms & conditions to the same as new starters – if there not Bullied out before then.
  • A Pay freeze for existing staff until the pay levels match (or their terms and conditions are cut to the same as new starters) – in practice until the minimum wage catches up with University pay.
  • No Trade Union recognition in the new company leaving staff at the mercy of managers and HR and without any collective bargaining rights

If the University get away with this for this group of staff we have good reason to believe that staff in cleaning, catering and security are lined for outsourcing as well. The Branch unanimously agreed to conduct a consultative ballot for industrial action, including strike action. Whilst this is a last resort we believe this is a clear threat to all of us and is the thin edge of wedge. We will be sending more material out as well as launching a campaign to keep all staff directly employed by the University. We must stop this race to the bottom.

What you can do straight away

  • Make sure all your colleagues know what is happening
  • Help us to organise a section meeting. If you can help us to organise a meeting for staff in your area please let us. This could be as simple as letting us know a good time and which room we should book.
  • Recruit a friend – A membership form is attached. We are still running a £10 welcome voucher to everyone who joins and everyone you signs someone up. More members equals more power to stop the race to bottom.

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