In October 2019, Cardiff UCU submitted a freedom of information (FOI) request to the University on “fringe benefits” incurred by, applied to or otherwise associated with, members of the University Executive Board and University Council. The FOI request was made after the University refused to provide this information.

These “fringe benefits” include, but are not limited to, provision of or financing towards accommodation, vehicles or transport services, IT equipment (except where directly associated with post-holders’ university offices), and mobile phones (and associated running costs such as contracts or other incurred charges).

After some pursuing, we finally received this information last week. You can access the University’s response here. It makes an interesting read and we will explore it further and keep you posted on any developments.

3.  Time = Money: Fight against the institutionalised Time Theft
Thank you to those who participated in our recent survey on workload. The results confirmed what the last 3 University Staff Surveys have found: the majority of staff are unable to fit their workload into their contracted working hours. The UCU workload survey helps us to understand the extent of the time theft – and as time is money this also constitutes money theft – that has been institutionalised in our University.

We asked respondents to estimate their average weekly working times (taking the whole academic year into account) and the results are as shocking as they are unsurprising:

In short:

1. only 16 out of 226 respondents suggested that they work within their contracted hours and most respondents work between 41 and 45 hours per week.
2. If we translate this into hours of overwork, those working 41-45 hours per week work about 9 weeks a year for free, which is far more than the usual annual leave allowance.
3. If we translate this into money and we assume an hourly wage of £20 (roughly the hourly rate of mid-Grade 6 contracts), this stacks up quickly to substantive sums. Those overworking by 10-15 hours per week ought to have earned over £10,000 per year more than the University actually pays them.

We have presented this table to the UEB and suggested that part of the short-term solution is to put workload tariffs on an empirical footing so that they reflect roughly the actual time it takes to prepare lectures, to mark essays, to deal with personal tutees and so on. We eagerly await their response.

UCU National has produced a document with updated information on individual and collective rights on health & safety issues, including Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. If you are concerned about your safety at work please check the document here and get in touch with us for advice at ucu@cardiff.ac.uk

The Welsh Government publishes regular updates on positive cases of COVID-19 reported to higher education institutions in Wales, which you can access here. Note that these are presented only as 7-day rolling averages and not daily reported cases. Cardiff University publishes its own data on reported positive cases among staff and students and number of students isolating here. According to these data, there have been 42 reported positive cases among staff since October.

While the numbers of reported positive COVID-19 cases in Cardiff University (and HE institutions in general) have remained relatively low, it is clear by the peak in October that the number of cases can increase very quickly, that the University screening service detects a significant and worrying number of positive cases who are asymptomatic, and that these asymptomatic tests are being carried out on a very small proportion of the University community, particularly considering that staff working on campus should be going through regular testing (at least weekly).

Even with most students still not back on campus, since the 5th January there is an average of over 90 students a day reporting to be in self-isolation, with an average of 35 a day reporting a positive COVID-19 test.

Cardiff UCU is providing personal support to a member of staff who is currently being vilified by the media and is receiving abuse and threats online. Cardiff UCU believes that all members of staff should be supported when they face difficulty. Cardiff UCU does not condone language that causes offence. In recognition of the upset and offence caused, an apology has been made. We recognise that staff and students are under severe pressure and may make mistakes.