First we’ve had a name change. We’re now LMU People and Planet. Like before, we have the same focus on social and environmental justice but feel this name is a little broader.
Committee member Glen got our student union to agree to lobby the university to 1) stop working and ban Nestle products and 2) pay the living wage to agency staff as a matter of urgency. Reasons behind the Nestle ban can be found here. Glen was also elected to the SU Council and Academic Board and hopes to make both bodies more accountable to students.
The society also supported the recent staff strikes. Staff are facing a 13% real term cut in their pay, as well as increasing workloads and less support. The strike was a nationally co-ordinated effort but one that also brought together three Leeds branches of UCU, Unison and Unite. Since the strike, union staff are now working to contract only, from 9 – 17.00. Meaning the many hours of extra work staff regularly do, unpaid and unappreciated, won’t be happening. Emails won’t be answered at 2am and doubtlessly teaching prep will also fall behind. The University needs to support it’s staff. As the Student Union noted in it’s statement about the strikes: happy, well paid staff benefit students.
We now have a full committee. Georgia, Emma C and Emma J have all been co-opted. We plan to meet fortnightly on Wednesday from 17.00 in the SU bar (term time only). The first meeting will be 20th Nov and then 4th Dec. The Friday before on the 15th we’ll be hosting the joint ethical pub crawl from 20.00 in the LMU SU bar.
See you there!
Leeds Met People and Planet Society 