In a brief video released Friday, Lincoln Students’ Union announced that 34 members of permanent staff have been laid off during the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to the camera, elected student leaders described how the organisation has lost around £1million due to its venues being closed.
“The students’ union is a charity and the majority of the funding that we get comes from the money our commercial venues make,” Georgia Petts, Vice President for Education, said in the video.
As a result, the union has had to restructure its operations throughout lockdown.
Following the news that 34 members of staff will subsequently be left without a job, the video quickly took a much brighter tone, and students were told “there is a positive side to this”.
Funding for student services, such as the Advice Centre, has been secured, The Engine Shed will be opened up as a free space for students to socialise while staying distanced and a new app will be available, allowing students to order food and drinks remotely, with delivery available.
Roughly five seconds of the three-minute video was devoted to discussing the lay-offs, around seven times less than was spent announcing the new delivery app.
The students’ union declined to comment, due to the matter being a “sensitive HR issue”.