All Student Vote (Spring 2024)

For Warwick SU to better support students with part-time jobs

This motion is to lobby the Union to improve its offering to part time student workers. 

The Union Notes: 

1.      69% of students have been forced due to the cost of living crisis and student loans not rising with inflation to work a part-time job alongside their studies -https://www.nus.org.uk/new_data_reveals_the_hidden_student_job_crisis 

2.      This includes roles within our SU outlets, and local communities. 

3.      Students often face precarious contracts, long hours, and are poorly paid. This affects students' academic study. 

4.      Warwick SU student staff members work in SU outlets on zero hours contracts and the motion to grant a real living wage in 2021 has still not been adopted. 

5.      The most marginalised students including students from working class backgrounds and low income families are most likely to need to work. 

6.      Some students have also been forced into Sex Workwith53% of students who work in the industry saying they do so to pay rent and 35%topay tuition fees. Only 15% of students felt that SU’s offered sufficient support for them -https://prostitutescollective.net/nus-student-sex-worker-briefing/andhttps://studentsunionucl.org/advice-and-support/advice/student-sex-workers 

7.      Students being forced to work is a political issue stemming from the marketisation of education, the housing crisis and cost of living crisis. 

The Union Believes: 

1.      Warwick SU has a responsibility to support students in their overall wellbeing and to succeed in their academic study, and also to represent student interests more generally. 

2.      Warwick SU as an employer has the responsibility to guarantee staff a good standard of working conditions and fair pay. 

3.      All staff deserve a real living wage with secure employment conditions and legal contracts. 

4.      Students are disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis compared to other groups. 

5.      Unions are beneficial and that students would benefit from being made aware of their existence and also from knowing their labour rights through the students union both for present and future benefit. 

6.      Student Sex workers should be better supported by  Warwick SU. 

7.      International students should be better supported and represented in Warwick SU. 

8.      The government isn't doing enough to support students. 

9.      PTOs receive no compensation for their roles and PTO’s tend to hold roles relating to marginalisation and liberation making them more vulnerable to financial insecurity. 

The Union resolves: 

1.      Warwick SU makes information widely available on their website and social media about the benefits of students joining a Union and how to join Unions applicable to students working in sectors such as hospitality and retail (such as Unite, Unison and GMB). 

2.      Warwick SU to make the information inclusive to international students. 

3.      Warwick Su to publish information to support student sex workers and to also actively offer advice and support students facing discrimination or exploitation on this basis. The SU should also support sex workers efforts to unionize, as well as continuing Policy 153 -Support Student Sex Workers (https://www.warwicksu.com/resources/49501/153-Support-Student-Sex-Workers/) 

4.      SU Officers including the President, Democracy and Development Officer and Welfare and Campaigns Officer share information with students via communications such as emails at a minimum once per year on student’s rights as employees and referencing the material available on the website related to unions and advice. 

5.      Upon students starting as staff members in any area of Warwick SU(including in outlets and SUHQ),students should be given this material on legal rights and unions along with clearer outlines of complaints procedures and Warwick SU’s expectations of their role i.e. working beyond scheduled hours, being asked to change outlet for a shift ect. 

6.      Warwick SU advice centre to offer support to students facing employment issues in a similar way they offer support on topics of housing and academic studying and better advertise any support currently offered. 

7.      Warwick SU to actively support unions which students are part of, especially when they partake in striking and fighting for better pay, working conditions and more secure contracts. This involves but is not limited to all SU officers standing in solidarity on picket lines in the local area or on campus. 

8.      Warwick Sut to finally pay staff members a real living wage as previously mandated. A fully costed set of proposals to do this must be in front of Council before the 23/24 academic year ends. 

9.      Warwick SU Education Officer to communicate with academic departments the consequences of students being forced to work, and lobby for changes to extension policies to accommodate extenuating circumstances where students' mental or financial health is at risk as a result of having to take on part-timework. 

10.  All Warwick SU Officers to fight for an increase of maintenance loans in line with inflation to reduce the need for students to work, through platforms such as NUS and other conferences. This is to be a consistent stance of the union until this is resolved. 

11.  All Warwick SU officers to fight for free education and against marketisation to reduce the need for students to work, through platforms such as but not limited to the NUS. This is to be a consistent stance of the union until this is resolved. 

12.  For PTO compensation, not necessarily pay (to comply with the Education Act) to be investigated by the Liberation and Diversity Forum, and preliminary proposals brought before the next Student Council of this year so PTOs receive compensation for their work and are not used as unpaid labour by the SU.