QMUL Under Pressure for Blocking Furlough of Students
QMSU has launched a new public campaign which takes aim at QMUL for blocking student-staff from access to the Government’s Furlough scheme. It comes after multiple weeks of internal lobbying of University leadership by QMSU without breakthrough, leaving little choice but to escalate.
Student-staff, which refers to any student working part-time for the Union, such as in The Griff Inn, BLSA Reception, Qmotion, or as photographers or referees, are employed and supported by QMSU but processed through the University’s payroll to reduce costs. However, it has also meant that QMSU is unable to enrol these students on the furlough scheme without permission from the University, which they have refused.
Additionally, the University has also refused to give its reasons for refusing to furlough students in writing, thus preventing the Union from answering those concerns and working towards a solution. Reports have suggested that the leadership have suggested different reasons in each meeting, such as ‘it not being appropriate for a public body’ - despite multiple Russell Group Universities like Oxford, Kings, UCL, Imperial furloughing staff almost from its scheme’s inception.
In response to the Union launching their campaign, the University has released a statement in which they claim that "Queen Mary University of London is committed to ensuring, as far as we are able, that no student is financially disadvantaged by the Covid-19 pandemic”. However, these seem to be little more than empty words when their proposed solution (of paying 80% of the QMSU budget) relies on the Union somehow being able to predict which staff would be working which shifts - something that they aren’t able to do.
Predictably, nowhere in the statement (full version at the bottom) is an explanation given for why the University continues to oppose furloughing students and allow them to access the funds that they are entitled to. This lack of clarity over the reasons for refusal seems to imply that the University itself is aware that it’s reasoning would not stand up to debate. However, regardless of reason, the lack of empathy and understanding from the University to use individual students’ finances as a bargaining chip undermines all of the work they do (especially around NSS season) to persuade us that they actually listen and care.
Student-staff have been out of work since mid-March when the University closed. Since then, QMSU has been attempting to support those staff, with the Board of Trustees agreeing to continue to pay those students as expected until April. It is unknown how long they will continue to be able to do this however, when Union finances are already stretched without revenue from outlets - placing students in financial uncertainty and hardship - with rent, food bills and other basic living costs still needing to be paid.
As part of the ‘QMUL Furlough Our Student Staff Now’ campaign, students are encouraged to write to the Principal, Colin Bailey and the Chair of College Council, Lord Tim Clement-Jones who oversees the decision making body of QMUL to voice their concerns. Links to the campaign are found below.
QMUL Full Statement:
"Queen Mary University of London is committed to ensuring, as far as we are able, that no student is financially disadvantaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, we have put in place significant financial assistance funds to which any student facing hardship can apply.
"We have been working closely with our Students’ Union (SU) to help them address their immediate financial challenges. As part of this, over a month ago, we offered to cover the salary costs of all staff, including student staff, up to the amount that the SU felt that they could have legitimately claimed from the government’s furlough scheme. Student workers have been paid for March and April, and we will continue to work with the SU to ensure staff, including student staff, are paid appropriately and any payment will stand up to financial audit.
"We are continuing to review the guidance for the furlough scheme to assess whether Queen Mary should apply to furlough any of its staff, in line with the Government’s guidelines."
