“Parliament welcomes the change of heart by the management of Glasgow Caledonian University, where catering staff had previously been told that their jobs would disappear by 16 December 2016”

Campus unions and catering staff at GCU are heartened by parliamentary support for the change of heart by GCU management regarding catering workers’ futures at the university.

A motion submitted to Parliament by Green Party MSP Patrick Harvie – a long standing supporter of staff concerns at the university – has already gained wide cross party support, from SNP and Labour, which we find very heartening.

We print the motion below, and hope the management take this support seriously given some newly emerging, ambiguous hints about the fate of staff in some of the smaller new outlets at GCU.

Campus unions, and the city branches of unison and GMB – representing staff in Cordia, have been clear from the start – the jobs of all staff, and not just those in the main refectory must be guaranteed till April, with proper talks taking place to look at options for the future shape of catering here. Slippage from this position would be unforgivable.

Campus unions have already pledged support for taking catering in-house after April, and we stand by this position.

Here is Patrick’s motion to Holyrood, showing support for management taking the correct approach:

Reprieve for Glasgow Caledonian University Catering Staff
‘That the Parliament welcomes the change of heart by the management of Glasgow Caledonian University, where catering staff had previously been told that their jobs would disappear by 16 December 2016 as a result of the early termination of the contract between Cordia and the university; regrets that the catering staff would not be protected by TUPE regulations if the university’s proposals had been put into practice, and considers this to be unjust; understands that the contract will now continue until April 2017, safeguarding the catering jobs at least until then; recognises what it considers the positive steps that have been taken by campus trade unions to develop alternative proposals such as an in-house catering operation, and urges the university management to do everything possible to protect the catering workers’ jobs, wages and conditions for the long term.”