YUSU are due to begin a campaign to increase the number of college staff and their working hours.
The move comes after the referendum motion “YUSU should support 24 hour staffing in every college” was overwhelmingly passed last November.
YUSU President Kallum Taylor told Vision, “As expected, students’ dissatisfaction on college staffing provision has come back onto the agenda, and the high interest and weight of support which the referendum on the matter received suggests that the student body demands improvements.”
“It’s important that we don’t obsess over the ‘P’ word, however, Porters, Lights On Staff, FRA’s, Spaghetti Monsters, whatever they’re called, it’s about what the staff in college lodges are trained to do, and allowed to do, as well as how long those services operate on a daily basis.”
“The status quo isn’t good enough; and it needs taking seriously. We want a workable solution that doesn’t pitch our members against university staff; but one that seriously values the needs of our members; the people who actually live here; the students.”
Taylor was openly critical of the “Skeletal” portering provision over the Christmas break, and promised to “hit the university hard” in order to get “decent staffing in colleges.”
It would seem the situation is already improving, with YUSU lobbying resulting in next year’s standard portering rota being maintained up until Christmas Eve.