Unite signs agreement with University authorities after Students Union workers vote overwhelmingly to accept offer

Welcoming the success of his union’s members, Unite hospitality organiser Neil Moore, said:

“This is a huge result for our members who were employed as casual, zero-hours workers at students union facilities at Queens. These workers had their hours cut to zero by the University, their employer, as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns but they were not re-furloughed at the end of July – leaving most with no income whatsoever.

“Approximately half those affected are students trying to work their way through college with many of the remainder recent University graduates. The behaviour of Queens University who refused to re-enrol them for furlough payments under the Government’s Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme was shocking.

“Queens has now reversed their approach on the back of weeks of protests which received huge levels of support from the student body and the wider public. These workers demanded and won a 100 percent furlough like other trade union members across the university. “This outcome is a huge success for Unite hospitality members at Queens. It demonstrates yet again, the vital importance of collective organisation through a trade union. This is only the start of Unite hospitality’s efforts to win improvements for the casual workers in Queens and indeed across our industry”, Mr Moore concluded.