In a brief video released Friday, Lincoln Students’ Union announced that 34 members of permanent staff have been laid off during the coronavirus pandemic.
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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”.