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Day: 14 December 2014

The Students’ Union will become a Living Wage Accredited employer

The Students’ Union of the University of Manchester has voted in favour of becoming a Living Wage Accredited employer. It was decided at the Trustee Board last week and it will be effective from August 2015 at latest.

This means that all the staff at the Students’ Union will be paid the living wage, which is currently £7.85 an hour. It will increase the wages that the Students’ Union is currently paying of around £80000 per year.

This significant resolution was achieved, after several debates and campaigns that took place on campus. The UoM Living Wage Campaign is promoting and trying to develop awareness among students for this crucial issue.

During the Living Wage Week, the Fair Pay Festival was hosted on the 6th November 2014 at Students Union’s Club Academy. At the event Professor Martin Hall, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Salford, and Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, gave a speech about the importance of becoming a Living Wage Accredited employer.

Speaking during the Fair Pay Festival, Professor Martin Hall expressed his happiness to see that students were active and paid attention on this matter. He said, “it’s really good to see a great attendance and to know that Student Unions are still focusing on national public issue events because very often we become obsessed with events that only concerned with the university.”

The UoM Living Wage Campaign asked to students to sign a petition to show their support to the cause. On the whole, over 1300 signatures were collected.

The campaign went on organising weekly meetings for who was interested in getting involved on this issue. A lot of students care about the living wage and they made an effort to focus the Students’ Union attention on that matter.

Speaking about the relevant result achieved, Matt Harriot, Chair of the Living Wage Campaign said: “The University of Manchester Students’ Union’s commitment to become a Living Wage Accredited employer is welcome news.

“We’re proud of our Students’ Union for taking a stand for fairer pay in Greater Manchester and urge the university management to follow the Students’ Union’s fantastic example by becoming Living Wage Accredited as soon as possible.”

Conor McGurran, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer stated: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have been able to make a real commitment to ethical employment today. At a time when over half of those in poverty are in work, the Living Wage goes a long way to removing the pay inequalities we see in our workplaces.

It may not be an easy decision, but going Living Wage is the right decision, which is why over 1300 people have signed a petition urging the university to set an example and pay their staff fairly. It’s time they took some action.”

If anyone wants to help in the campaign of the UoM Living Wage Campaign they can email [email protected]. A Facebook page is available at https://www.facebook.com/UoMlivingwage and they have also a twitter account at https://twitter.com/UoMLivingWage.

Should we increase regulation of the press?

Yes

Lauren Wills

Today’s media get away with murder. We were all disgusted at the phone-hacking scandal which came to light in 2011, particularly in regards to Milly Dowler and the fact that News of the World employees had the audacity to hack a murder victim’s phone without considering the consequences for her family.

Other victims of phone-hacking included members of the Royal Family, families of deceased soldiers, and victims of the 7/7 London bombings. While these occurrences were a blatant, immoral violation of privacy, they highlighted a wider issue concerning the ethics of the media in today’s society and whether they should be held to account.

The press are said to have a constitutional role in democracies—that is, they hold people in power (especially in government) to account through discovering truth and publishing stories nationally. They encourage transparency and integrity which is undoubtedly well-needed in our government. Furthermore, there are arguments to suggest media publications encourage individuals to make well-informed decisions about politics and thus are a crucial agent in securing individual freedom of expression.

Because of this special status given to the media to promote freedom of speech in a democratic society, there is, in my opinion, too much space for them to abuse that power. Because our generation is so liberal, it’s easy to bypass the logic that if the media are holding people in power to account, they too need to be subject to scrutiny by an independent body separate from the government.
It’s a difficult debate, and I understand why free speech advocates may argue that any legislation governing the freedom of the press could be dangerous. David Cameron said this himself after the Leveson Inquiry when the recommendations were ultimately rejected.

Lord Justice Leveson, in his independent inquiry into the practices of the media, argued—after considering the phone-hacking scandal, police bribery and the press exercising improper influence in the pursuit of stories—that there needed to be some kind of system to ensure the press didn’t abuse their power.

Because this was a few years ago and it’s not making the front page of newspapers anymore, most see the phone-hacking scandal as a distant memory or a few isolated incidents which won’t happen again. What many people don’t realise is that the system of regulation that has recently been introduced in the UK is in no way, shape or form independent and doesn’t actually hold the press to account or encourage journalistic integrity.

The same thing happened with the banking scandal in 2008. Because we’re recovering from the recession and moving forward, many pay little attention to the fact that hardly anything has been done to regulate banks and their practices with people’s money.
The new ‘regulation’ body in the UK was launched, as Michelle Gribbon comments, “with a whisper,” in September of this year.

With the hype and media attention of the phone-hacking scandal just a few years ago, you’d think the launch of this independent, rigorous, fair and transparent regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) would have gained more publicity than it did. Most newspapers have signed up to the new regulator; the Mirror Group, The Sun, The Times, The Telegraph and the Mail Group, however, it had no official launch and most newspapers refused to write about it, because it’s just not ‘newsworthy’ enough.

IPSO is a replacement for the previous Press Complaints Commission which served as an extremely embarrassing body to regulate the ethics of the media. The whole point of IPSO is that it’s meant to be separate from the Government so that the press are subject to proper regulation.

However, the watchdog we’ve all been waiting for is unlikely to stand up to the press, especially considering that it’s funded by the newspaper industry itself. Gribbon furthermore comments that, quite shamefully, one of their board members happens to be an individual who was a chief defender of The Sun’s coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.

With no adequate means of regulation in the UK, we are in danger of further horrific abuse of the press. Freedom of speech advocates forget that newspapers’ primary goal is to make profit. With their goal being commercial rather than to publish the truth, they do not live up to their ‘special’ role within the constitution.

Newspapers really do just publish whatever is going to sell the most papers. I really don’t believe certain media corporations are concerned with journalistic integrity, truth, justice or any other virtues that such highly regarded institutions should possess. They make so much profit that they have money to set aside for libel claims, allowing them to take more risks.

I would argue for a truly independent regulator backed up by a loose statutory framework to govern the integrity of the press, because now, it’s like the Leveson Inquiry never happened. I think IPSO is an insult to victims of the media’s ruthless and relentless actions which they have not truly paid the price for, and I hope for the day when all responsible individuals and corporations are held to account for the phone-hacking scandal and its implications on victims’ families and loved ones.

No

Thomas McEvilly

The vital role the press plays to our democracy is undisputed, as the Lord Chief Justice has said; “in a country governed by the rule of law, the independence of the press is a constitutional necessity.” Not only does the press hold those in power to account, but, information it dispenses contributes to public discourse and debate, enabling the public to act on informed decisions. Therefore, any contemplation for regulating the press raises a number of threatening implications to our democratic society.

It goes without question that any regulation underpinned by statute is a gross infringement of this constitutional role; it couldn’t hold the government to account if those it was scrutinising had authority over it. This, however, is of less interest at this moment, but rather the idea of an independent regulatory body which had emerged in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, is what I have issue with. At present, the Press Complaints Commission is being abolished and replaced with IPSO, which in itself is totally flawed, but, if successful, has an equal bearing on democracy as state intervention.

Freedom of speech is one of our fundamental rights, which has enabled us to develop as a free country. First acknowledged by the Magna Carta and currently pronounced under Article 10 of the Humans Rights act 1998, it confers a right to enable us as individuals to hold opinions, receive and impart information without interference by public authority. This right extends to the press. It’s the enjoyment of freedom of expression by the press which allows it to fulfil its constitutional role, and regulation in any form is a fundamental breach of this right.

A free press should be encouraged because of the public benefit which comes from the free flow of information and by regulating the press then there is the danger that a chilling effect could emerge. Journalists would avoid newsworthy stories in fear that they would receive a negative reaction, or find themselves having to justify their actions in front of IPSO. A chilling effect of this kind is of great concern for the British democracy, because it causes journalists to write cautiously or remain silent, and how can this be any benefit to the public when they rely on the news in order to base intelligent choices in holding those in power accountable.

Yes, without any regulation the press is liable to publish false stories or exaggerate the truth, but this in itself shouldn’t be undermined, as it’s necessary for the development of society. False information forces us to challenge our own opinions, frequently, fully and fearlessly, resulting in a strengthened opinion, as otherwise we would be led to our own assumption of infallibility.

We have already seen the closure of one ‘red top’ newspaper. Strict regulations enforced by fines and the inclination of cautious journalism could see the closure of further newspapers, which only goes to narrow the sources from which public debate can be pooled.

I can see the argument that regulation is needed in order for the press to recognise their responsibility for ethical practices so as to discourage journalism which has a total disregard for privacy, but people need to gain perspective. The phone hacking undertaken by the News of the World was to sell stories relating to celebrity culture; there’s a difference between publication of a celebrity’s affairs and newsworthy material in the public interest. In order to stifle unethical journalism found in the small minority of newspapers, the majority of effective journalism will be inhibited by regulation as a whole.

As the press serves us, we shouldn’t underestimate the power in our freedom to choose to read the stories offered. If journalism is unethical or blatantly unfounded then it is unlikely that people will chose to read it or even believe it, demand in itself would be a proportionate regulator. I do recognise that this may not be adequate redress for certain injustices suffered by individuals as a result of a false story, however there are existing legal frameworks in place which directly deal with these circumstances, namely the law of libel and breach of confidence and it is unnecessary that a further hurdle should be placed in the way of a free press.

As soon as the press becomes regulated, we passively allow a detrition of the right to freedom of expression, and this would only go on to allow violation of further fundamental rights needed for the existence of our democracy.

The 5 Worst Things about Christmas

I should start this by saying that I love Christmas. However, Christmas, like most things in life, has its upsides and downsides. So in the true Scrooge spirit, here are some of the worst things about Christmas:

5) The inevitable row between family members. At Christmas everyone gets drunk, they haven’t seen each other in a while and unfortunately some people get quite mean so they say all the stuff they’ve been wanting to say. Luckily for me, this doesn’t really happen (we’re all happy drunks) but it can put a really dampener on what should be a lovely time for everyone.

4) All the weird food you have to eat that you never eat at any other time. Aside from Christmas, when else does anyone eat Brussel sprouts? Not to mention, Christmas pudding (what’s up with that, it’s so weird).

3) The family stressing over food. This could just be mine, but last year my mum screamed at me and my brothers until we quietly pointed out at no point had she asked us to help and we wouldn’t know where to begin anyway. Luckily, she’s good humoured and was thus referred to as Ebenezer until New Year. Sorry Mum.

2) That it’s an excuse to gain loads of weight. The gym is still there and no one’s forcing you to eat the size of a small child in mince pies.

1) The insistence on Christmas jumpers. Can we just leave it at cute Fair Isle prints? No, apparently not. We have to go all out: make ourselves look like complete twats in hideous garish colours and even worse prints.

Despite all this I still think the good aspects of Christmas outweigh the bad. Just promise me you’ll try to find a tasteful jumper this year? Or is that asking for too much?

Humans of UoM: Asha

Asha, 2nd year Geography student, originally from Bermuda.

Who the hell are you? 
My name is Asha. I was born in Bermuda and raised between there and Japan with my Japanese mum and Bermudian dad. For high school I went to Canada for four years, and then I came to Manchester for my degree. I’ve travelled extensively through North America, including Mexico and the Caribbean. I’m nineteen, what else do you want me to say?

On being international:
I would describe myself as international: I don’t call one place home. I’ve always moved around and I like that; I know it’s not for everyone but I get bored of being in one place for too long. I sound like a slut—like moving around boys—no, like moving around countries. I just like the experience of meeting new people, and I know that sounds really cheesy but I truly do like that and I think every single person has a story to tell. For example at work, I’ve met a guy from Botswana, a guy from Australia, a guy from Poland and I think it’s just interesting to hear what they have to say and their different viewpoints on certain things that come up.

On England: 
I definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely think I have a more open viewpoint [than other people in England]. I think it just has to do with how I’ve grown up and how I don’t have a loyalty to one country. I know that sounds weird to say but I just feel like a lot of English people are really proud of being able to speak English and not open to a lot. If I’d grown up in England or I’d grown up in the same place as them I think I’d have the same viewpoint, but because I’ve grown up in so many different places—I’ve been through living in a country where you can’t speak the language, you know being embarrassed, being scared, like you’re all alone in school for the first time, I’ve been through all that—I’m definitely more kind and gentle when it comes to dealing with people who for example don’t speak English as their first language. You know, I have sympathy towards them: I could never be rude.

On peeing herself:
“One time in Japan when I was in primary school I couldn’t speak Japanese, I could only speak English at this point, and I really had to pee but I didn’t know how to ask. It was in the middle of class and I was sitting at the back of the classroom and there were like 25 kids. I was so scared I didn’t know what to do, and I was holding it in for so long that I just peed on my seat and it dripped down. The kid next to me screamed and started laughing and everyone was laughing at me, like: “Ah! Look at that, she’s peeing!” And I just remember being really embarrassed and scared.

On love:
I have a French boyfriend and I’ve always had an interest in foreign people: the people I’ve been with in the past have usually not been from Bermuda and not from Japan; yeah I just like difference I guess. I definitely know I’m attracted to anyone who’s foreign and if I meet you for the first time and you’re like: “I’m from Italy,” I’m like: “Oh yeah, woo!” It’s very difficult for me not to be like: “Oh, he’s from Italy…” “he’s from Germany, I want to talk to him more.” It’s just interesting. My boyfriend and I have definitely grown up very differently but still, I don’t know, I don’t know how to explain it but it’s just interesting. I like it: I like meeting new people. I would never date an English guy. I just think my viewpoint is too different; I just don’t think we can connect on that sort of level, don’t have the same sort of mindset or, I don’t know, it’s just a completely different viewpoint I guess.

On travelling:
A lot of people here when they say they’ve been travelling actually mean they’ve been interrailing in Europe and got drunk at bars. For me that’s not travelling through Europe: that’s just going to capital cities and getting fucked with your friends and that’s not what I feel about travelling. Travelling for me is doing your research before you go. Never ever, ever just show up in a city, because you’ll be so lost and won’t know what to do. Look at what the typical tourist spots are and when you get there, ask local people if they speak any English and say (give them a very short time!), “I’m only here for 24 hours—what do you recommend I see? What’s the best your city has to offer?” That type of thing and they’ll tell you that sometimes it can be good, sometimes it’s not so good, but you know sometimes you’ll see things you didn’t see on TripAdvisor and it’s like: “Oh, that was nice.”

Last Words:
I do have a very strong viewpoint and I have my own opinion on things but what I said about English guys doesn’t mean that they’re all shit: it’s just what I think. Don’t make me sound like a bitch: I’ll kill you.

Should you get a job whilst at university?

More and more students are working whilst studying. According to a study by Endsleigh in conjunction with the NUS, in 2013 57 per cent of students had a part-time job—a seven per cent increase from 2012. With the increase of costs in university study (has there ever been a year in which halls prices have not increased?!) it seems likely that this trend towards students working will only accelerate. Is feasible to work and still achieve a good degree (and have a bit of a life)? I spoke to two students to find out.

No
Fern, a nineteen-year-old Drama and English Literature student quit her job at a popular sandwich chain after she found it difficult to manage a work-life balance with the commitments of a part-time job.

Promising beginnings
“I worked at Subway for just under a month, from late September to late October. I didn’t earn that much cause it’s crappy pay and I didn’t work there for that long, but the money went on tickets to see Taylor Swift.”
All work and no play
“I worked about 20 something hours a week, the longest shift being like ten to just after eight at night. I quit because I started to be put down to work in literally every spare second I had, like the manager didn’t understand that I had university work to do even if wasn’t actually in lectures. Also because I’m involved in societies as well I found I had no time to actually do university work outside of lectures. I’m here to learn, not to get a full time job, but they didn’t really get that.”
Talk to the boss!
“I’d still recommend getting a job at university it because it’s good to have the extra money but if you plan on having a life that’s not just lectures and work, make sure that the boss knows that before you start or else it’ll become too much”

Yes
Emma, a 20-year-old Geography student has found that working part-time allows her to get more from studying at university.

The Bank of Mum and Dad
“My mum agreed to give me £50 a week to cover my laundry, food just everything, but that wasn’t enough. I originally told her £50 because that would be enough but I didn’t really know the price of anything. It was like a blind guess.”
On zero-hours contracts
“I have a zero-hours contract but I work between 30 and 40 hours a week. [The zero-hours contract] means that essentially my boss can give me as many hours as she wants. I like the zero-hours contract because my boss loves me. Like I obviously understand why people would want to get rid of zero-hours contracts, but as a student a zero hour contract is good for me because my job isn’t my top priority, and also because nothing, like my rent, is really relying on it.”
Unemployed Problems
“If I didn’t have the job I would go back to being poor: not going out, selling my clothes for food. Yeah, basically like I was in my first year: a lot of stress because I was having to worry about money. Luckily I have a boyfriend for that though.”
All work and no play?
“I’m the type of student that hates uni so I do usually take work over uni, just because it’s less stressful for me: I’d rather do a ten hour shift than write my essay, and you know, procrastinate.”
Study Geography, not Physics
“If you think you’re the type of person who can say no to going out and going to work the next day then I would recommend getting a job. You’ve got to be committed to it, and you have to do a course that doesn’t demand a lot from you…” [Like What?] “Well I do Geography, so Geography. I imagine if you do Physics it’s just not going to fit.”

*Some names have been changed.

Is it okay to date an ex’s friend?

With the huge platform of people that you meet at university, it seems inevitable that a dating interest will pop up along the line somewhere. Perhaps a night out turned into a night in, or your boy friend turned boyfriend? But what happens when you fall for your ex’s mate? What do you do? Is it acceptable?

Yes—Bella
“I think you should be able to date who you please. If you feel like you could truly be with a person and that person so happens to be your ex’s friend, who cares! If you’re both mature enough to move on then this new relationship should not affect any friendship.

“Perhaps if the relationship ended on bad terms then maybe the best idea wouldn’t be to flaunt your new found relationship in front of your ex. But if the breakup was mature and maybe even a friendship came from it, then I believe that it is at least OK to date your ex’s friend. I am actually dating my ex’s friend and my ex has moved on too. We’re both still friends and the friendship between my current boyfriend and my ex is sound. I understand that this transition may not be so smooth for everyone, but I guess I was lucky.

“You both should be strong and allow the other person move on. As long as there’s no cheating and leading on then live and let live, I say.”

No—Ben
“Although you may not be able to help how you feel about someone, I think dating your ex’s friend is a bad idea. Not only will it be heartbreaking for the ex, but both of you won’t be able to gain closure: they’ll still have a pang of jealousy and you’ll be constantly reminded of them by their friendship with the person you’re now dating.

“I have actually been through a breakup recently and my ex is now going out with a guy who used to be my mate. I say ‘used to’ because the friendship has changed. I mean he couldn’t chat about what a great night he had with his new girl, because that new girl used to be mine! I kept thinking about all the things we used to do together and if she was having a better time with my mate.

“I would strongly advise against dating within the same friendship group. Things can get messy and no matter how much you tell yourself, you won’t ever truly move on.”