Walking in a winter wonderland: students showcase this season’s latest trends Life & Style, page 18-19
Issue 1199 Monday 16 November 2009 www.thecourieronline.co.uk
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University exposed for exploiting post-grads Fran Infante Deputy Editor Students are facing homelessness after Newcastle University employers informed them they will only be paid for one out of every eight and a half hours they work. The team of three post-graduate students – who all live and work at the halls of residence Leazes Parade – were hired earlier this year as Senior Residents by the company INTO, who run the unit on behalf of the University. Their job on campus is to be welfare representatives; providing support, guidance and practical assistance for the international students who inhabit the residence and for whom INTO caters. They were told that they would be paid £7.51 per hour and that the hours they worked would give them enough to pay their £80 a week rent plus £10 to £20 extra cash. The duties were initially to be shared among a team of four but a fourth was never hired. Around six weeks after they started work, the Senior Residents were issued with contracts stating very different terms of employment. Due to a cryptic series of clauses and exceptions they would be paid for only one hour of every eightand-a-half hours that they were on call, giving them in effect an hourly wage of just 94p. When the residents raised the issue with INTO they were told that there was nothing that could be done and if they wanted to make up the money they would simply have to work more hours. INTO’s website describes the residence as: “An environment where you can learn your independence within our 24-hour support network” and offers foreign students the chance to live in “a safe environment with additional support from our live-in Senior Residents.” Town Planning MA student, Vildan Aydin, told The Courier of her
frustration: “With the way they have structured it we are basically paying to work here. “I don’t understand how they think it’s a good deal, how they can hope to recruit anyone who is aware of the actual terms of the contract. “It’s so unfair; the work takes up all my time so I can’t look for a second job and still have any time for my studies. My room at Leazes Parade is contingent on my working for INTO - if I quit, I’ll be homeless. “The ridiculous thing is I’m going to have to leave anyway now because I cannot afford to pay £80 a week out of my own pocket. “It feels like slavery because they are taking my time and not compensating me for it. I am lucky though; I’m from London and so my family are here to help me deal with this mess. “One of my colleagues is from Palestine and she is effectively trapped here because the borders have been closed. “She has had no support and has been trying to sort all this out in a second language; it’s appalling.” She added: “We have been left feeling misled and disappointed, as if we have no-one to turn to. “I went to the Student Advice Centre and as soon as I said I was a Senior Resident the advisor there just rolled her eyes and said ‘it’s been an issue’.” The situation appears to have arisen out of claimed confusion following a change in the payment system of Senior Residents. In previous years they received no monetary payment for the work they did and instead were provided with their year’s accommodation free of charge. This, however, caused problems with the visa requirements of some of the overseas students enrolled in the scheme, resulting in the decision to charge for accommodation but to also pay the students for their work. Continued on page 5
Inside today >>> Northern Angels Newcastle University’s Cheerleading Team audition for Britain’s Got Talent News, page 3
Castle Court comes to Leazes University’s new state of the art DFFRPPRGDWLRQ LV RI¿ FLDOO\ opened on campus by ViceChancellor Chris Brink News, page 6
Ethical consumerism Is the increase in fair trade merely GULYHQ E\ SUR¿ W SRVVLELOLWLHV" Jack Peat challenges consumers to start playing businesses at their own game Comment, page 12
Obama’s big change As Obama’s health care reforms look set to go through, Laura Heads discusses whether it will be a positive step for the USA Comment, page 11
Mi casa es su casa Danya Bazaraa on her travels to the Spanish province of Granada Life & Style, page 14
Clash of the Titans Northumbria edge Royals in Kingston Park showdown Sport, page 44
New Yorker Tony Ray urged students to “raise their voice together” to help increase awareness of the global AIDS and HIV problem at the Stop AIDS Speaker Evening last Wednesday night
Students help give voice to Stop AIDS campaign News, page 4
Maximo Park Former Newcastle student Paul Smith talks about his university experience in the North East Culture, page 24