First Published: 13th September 5:15pm

Issue 6 / September 2021

Welcome

A new week, a new Megaphone because Strathclyde UCU want to keep members abreast of developments in a rapidly developing situation.  Indeed, we feel that we must call a further Emergency General Meeting for Wednesday 15 September at 1pm.  Please make every effort to attend in order that you can be updated on the fluid and seemingly ever changing situation.

A number of motions were passed at last Wednesday’s Emergency General Meeting and are outlined below. These were followed by an unexpected announcement from management the following day that the wearing of facemasks in learning and teaching areas would not be mandatory. An Emergency Branch Committee Meeting was convened on Friday and this new policy, which we believe to be seriously detrimental to staff, was responded to with vigour by SUCU, supported by our colleagues in UNISON and, of course, UCU Scotland.

Management later informed us that they were “reflecting further on the question of wearing face coverings in teaching rooms”, and this morning we were pleased to hear that the university management have retracted their decision that masks would not be mandatory.  We continue to seek an urgent meeting with university management to secure clarification and greater detail in order that the safety of students and staff is not jeopardised.

In the interim, we would ask members to remain vigilant and to keep their emails scanned for developments.  We have arranged a drop in session for members who may have any concerns over the current return to campus arrangements.  This will take place on Tuesday 14 September at 4pm, with the link contained within the accompanying email.

Please read the contents of your new Megaphone and keep yourself armed with the latest information from SUCU.

In solidarity,
Derek Keenan
Branch Chair
Strathclyde UCU

Health and Safety

On 9 September 2021 the University issued a new policy on the use of face coverings on campus [https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/1newwebsite/covid-19/New_Covid-19_Guidance_on_the_use_of_Face_Coverings_SC1_Sep_(004).docx]. This policy significantly changed the requirement to wear face coverings in teaching rooms, on which basis all departments and their staff had been planning, and indeed students will have been aware of.

The previous policy was that “Face coverings are required when on campus inside buildings, including classroom settings, with the exception of those who are exempt from wearing them, and teaching settings where PPE is to be worn.”

The new policy stated that “Face coverings must be worn in learning and teaching spaces across campus unless:

• Partitioning is in place to keep people separated or 1 metre social distancing is in place;
• People are positioned so that they are not face to face; and
• There is appropriate ventilation.

For example, in a teaching class where students are seated for the duration of the lecture, the room layout provides 1 metre distancing between students and the windows are opened to allow a through draught. Face coverings are not required while seated but will be when moving around the room.”

The new policy was clearly a material change with consequences for all risk assessments associated with teaching and learning activities on campus. Indeed, the branch query whether the risk assessments that were carried out under the belief that masks would be in use are now competent, and urge the university management to work constructively and collaboratively with union representatives to coproduce meaningful, informed risk assessments.

No consultation took place with trade unions before the change in policy was announced; we were first informed of the change in an email sent to UCU representatives only 25 minutes before it was sent to all staff. The lack of consultation is in direct breach of the Scottish Government’s principle [https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-universities-colleges-and-community-learning-and-development-providers/pages/steering-principles/] that “The Guidance will be implemented, taking account of the experience and level of responsibility across the sector, with an emphasis on risk assessment and transmission reduction, ensuring consultation with recognised Trade Unions and student representative bodies/unions.”

Strathclyde UCU have engaged in good faith with management throughout the pandemic, seeking to ensure appropriate mitigation of the risks to students and staff. To make such a major change without consultation or notification is a breach of that faith as well as contravening the principles set out by the Scottish Government, and we find it completely unacceptable.

The reduced requirements can only lead to more viral transmission, at a time when cases in Scotland are at a record high, only around 50% of under 30s are fully vaccinated, deaths are slowly increasing and health services are warning of a lack of capacity.

To change the requirements now, without warning or consultation, is cowardly and dishonest. It puts students and staff at greater risk and increases already high levels of stress.  Moreover, dangerous learning and working conditions within the university will invariably have detrimental impacts upon the communities in which we live.

The branch therefore wrote to the university to call on an urgent meeting with their representatives to discuss our concerns. This meeting has not yet been arranged.  We welcome the university decision on Monday 13 September to change their position and look forward to clear guidance regarding learning and teaching environments being coproduced with union representatives in the coming days.

This change does little to address the ongoing concerns that members have over ventilation, Co2 monitors and adequate risk assessments, amongst other issues.  We hope to be able to update members of further progress at our EGM on 15 September.

Update from EGM

At our EGM on 8 September Strathclyde UCU members unanimously re-affirmed its stated position regarding safe and secure learning and teaching at Strathclyde.  We repeat that: 

Online delivery should remain the default for lectures. Small group tutorials and practical lab classes should only take place face-to-face if there is a strong academic reason to do so and if our previous demands for adequate ventilation in teaching and work spaces, and steps to reduce short range transmission are met. The default arrangement for other work should remain to work from home wherever possible, just as the Scottish Government have been stating for many months now. Staff who are vulnerable or who are concerned about vulnerable family members should not be asked to return to campus and must not be penalised for not doing so. Students must similarly not be penalised for not attending face-to-face teaching activities and must be provided with equivalent online alternatives. Staff working at home need to be properly supported to do so.

Our members also passed the following motions:

Strathclyde UCU demand that agreed Risk Assessments are physically posted on all teaching rooms and areas where students and staff are likely to be following the return to Campus. Further to this, we would request that Risk Assessments are made digitally available in a suitable, easily accessible format for all students and staff as soon as they have been carried out and agreed with SUCU or the relevant union.

The Strathclyde UCU demands that staff have access to realtime air quality information in all teaching spaces through the installation of CO2 monitors in all learning and teaching spaces. These devices must clearly indicate the current level of CO2 in the space to allow an assessment of the ventilation at any given time during a teaching session given the varying impact of different teaching activities upon air quality. Should the CO2 level exceed 800PPM, then teaching activity in that area should immediately stop and the room be evacuated.

Mindful that delivery of online and hybrid learning and teaching can add to an already overburdened workload, Strathclyde UCU call on university management to take all possible steps to address the inevitable workplace pressure that will be caused by the shift to hybrid and online teaching.  Management must take steps to ensure that existing inequalities are not exacerbated through additional demands on staff who have experienced substantial increases in workload in recent years.

What is to be done?

Where we go now is up to the members of the branch to decide.  Our Emergency General Meeting on Wednesday is your opportunity to shape the direction that we take.  Whilst there may be some movement in relation to masks, there are other significant challenges which put the health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff at Strathclyde in jeopardy.  Please come along on Wednesday and help the branch create a safe and secure learning and working environment.

Disclaimer: The inclusion of links to external websites does not constitute endorsement. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of the collective membership of the Strathclyde UCU branch, UCU, or the University of Strathclyde.