The University and College Union (UCU) today (Monday) said any
wider reopening of college and university campuses from 8 March
is irresponsible and risks undoing the country’s hard work to get
Covid rates down.
The union called on employers to use common sense and keep
teaching online wherever possible to reduce the risk of further
Covid outbreaks. It said that for many courses this would mean
there should mean no return to on-campus activity this academic
year.
Where courses do require an element of in-person teaching, the
union said employers must meet with UCU health and safety
representatives to agree new risk assessments to protect staff,
students and the wider community. It said assessments need to
take account of a number of factors including the
increased transmissibility of new variants, ventilation, PPE and
how to support workers who need to shield. It also raised
concerns over the potential use of unreliable lateral
flow tests.
UCU said that where staff feel their health and safety is being
put at risk, it will support members to fight to protect
themselves, colleagues and students, including through industrial
action ballots.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘The Prime Minister seems to
pushing ahead with an irresponsible reopening of schools,
colleges and universities at the same time. Pushing students and
staff back onsite increases the risk of more Covid outbreaks and
threatens to undo the country’s hard work to get infection rates
down.
‘Lateral flow tests are completely unsuitable for testing on
campuses. They are unreliable and incorrect negative results may
give people a false sense of security, increasing the risk
outbreaks. The government must not use them to reopen colleges
and universities.
‘We expect employers to keep teaching online wherever possible to
prevent campuses from seeding the virus. For many courses this
will mean no return to campus this academic year. UCU accepts
that some university and college courses will need some in-person
teaching but this needs to be very carefully managed to keep
staff and students safe. Employers will need to agree new risk
assessments with our health and safety representatives that take
account of increased transmission rates of new variants,
ventilation, PPE and how vulnerable employees will be supported
to stay off campus.
'Employers must work with us to protect staff and student safety.
If our members feel their health and safety is being put at risk,
then we will support them to protect themselves, including
through balloting for industrial action where necessary.'
ends
