FR IDAY, 2 ND NOVEMBER, 2018 – Keep the Cat Free – ISSUE 1703 Felix The Student Newspaper of Imperial College London FR IDAY, 2 ND NOVEMBER, 2018 FELIX EDITORIAL CONTENTS EDITORIAL 2 This week's Felix is not thicc NEWS 3-4 jaba – Felix I can't end this without The Felix Team y D Ed COMMENT 5 oday marks the d ito thanking my incredible An r Editor-in-Chief first day in my Felix team: every single Andy Djaba POLITICS 6-7 run as Editor that one of the contributors • I've managed to who've helped get this Deputy Editor SCIENCE 8-9 Tget this part written on paper out even with one Joanna Wormald time - only because this day less to work with • TECH 10 week's edition was com- - can't say that I ever ap- News Editors piled on a Wednesday. A Joanna Wormald proached my degree with Frank Leggett MUSIC 11 bit early, I know, but it was this level of dedication but • either this or some of you I'm glad you're here to help Politics Editors ARTS 14-15 went without your weekly out! This week the paper Avirup Banerjee crosswords (and all the is shorter and is being sent Divyen Vanniasegaram BOOKS 16 other high quality articles to print on a Wednesday Juan Rubio Gorrochategui we write over here). because tomorrow I will • GAMES 17 Now some of you be at my friend Lauren's Comment Editors Aida Manzano Kharman might be wondering - why funeral. The support from Charlie Titmuss HANGMAN 20-21 is this edition of Felix a everyone around me in • bit light? A wise man once this tough time has been Science Editors INVESTMENT 22 said, "size doesn't matter". touching and overwhelm- Rosie Dutt Sometimes the best things ing and I can't thank you Eyad Abuelgasim PUZZLES 23 in life come in small all enough. Henry Alman packages. Sânziana Foia SPORTS 24 • As I'm writing this, Halloween is a good (since I do get paid to do Tech Editor Halloween ACC rages point to look back at how this), I thought it'd be wise Krithika Balaji on upstairs. Surprisingly settled into the new year to give my hot take on its Haaris Asghar not as rowdy as I was we are. Personally I'm not general direction. • expecting. Not that I'm for the whole thing, but I I must admit, it's a bit Arts Editors complaining, though if can respect the time and nice to get away from Claire Chan there were a massive fight effort people take into writing about facts for Helen Money-Kyrle that'd give me one more fashioning each costume. once and just giving my Vaishnavi Gnanananthan Felix Office • Beit Quad, Prince Consort article to fill up this issue. So far in these six opinion this week - you'd Books Editors Road issues I've overseen as think being a newspaper London, SW7 2BB JJ Cheng Editor, I've taken a com- editor, you'd get to fill • Tel: 020 79548072 “A wise man pletely new perspective of 32 pages with whatever Music Editors Email: [email protected] the Union than I had as a you're thinking: not the Simran Kukran felixonline.co.uk once said: student. It's a bit mad - it case unfortunately (bear Adrian LaMoury @feliximperial goes from being that place this in mind if any of you Henry Eshbaugh Asad Raja Printed by Mortons Media size doesn't you go to after your last are thinking of running for Group, Boston Road, • Horncastle, Lincolnshire matter” exam or when your room Felix Editor in the future). Film Editors booking falls through to Even more exciting is Registered Newspaper Mikhail Demtchenko ISSN 1040-0711 this whole almost-polit- gearing up to write for Sung Soo Moon ical system you have to my old section once again Aidan Chan Copyright (c) Felix 2017 navigate. In light of the (Music fztw); keep a look • many different articles out for that in next week's Markets Editor I've had to write on it edition. Tom Alston • Food Editors Eva Tadros Julia Dąbrowska • Felix is recruiting! Puzzles Editor Lisa Hey Lorenzo Silvestri • Sports Editor Imraj Singh Fergus Johnson • Cover Photo Joe O'Connell-Danes • Copy Editors Andrada Balmez Rhidian Thomas We want you – yes, you! We’re looking for writers, photographers, editors, illustrators, report- Shervin Sabeghi ers, computer experts and grammar nerds to join our team. No experience needed – we’ll teach Jonathan Roberts you everything you need to know. If you’re interested, send us an email on [email protected] 2 FELIX ISSUE 1703 NEWS [email protected] Unrest Over New Union Staff Food & Drink Policy NEWS "They’re claiming that the policy is generous. Andy Djaba The discounts are 15% so, Editor-in-Chief on a £5.50 burger which we normally would have got for £3, we now get it for the price it was before Several Beit bars they increased the prices student staff havelast year." voiced concerns over Changes to staff break entitlements were also the new policy, which outlined in the policy. The st came into effect on 1 policy states: November "All staff (agency, per- manent and student) are entitled to a discounted mperial College staff meal whilst working Union's new "Staff a shift of at least 6 hours." Food & Drink This immediately Policy" has come raised concerns given that Iunder heavy criticism a standard morning shift by multiple members of runs from 11:15 am to Union bar staff. 5:00 pm, which falls 15 Staff were made aware minutes under the 6 hour of the new policy, which threshold and, thus, leaves was drawn up by Julia staff with no break and Mattingley, the Head of no food following a shift. Commercial Services, on Several staff members Monday 29th October. voiced further concerns FiveSixEight // Imperial College London The new policy, which about what they perceive policy has also been One of the Union's came into effect on 1st as unfair treatment, criticised. The policy alleged justifications for the Union has violated the that make these kinds of November and details lamenting the fact that states that workers will this is that "the kitchen Working Time Directive policies don’t discuss it a number of changes to they are no longer entitled be considered guilty of made a 40% profit margin for years, since the direc- with any of the student the rules surrounding to a free drink during theft or gross misconduct instead of 60%- that’s not tive requires a minimum staff. They don’t discuss the staff's entitlements to these morning shifts "even if they breach the policy. an acceptable difference of 11 hours between the it with the casual staff breaks and to discounted though they have to do a One Beit bars student staff and, because of that, we end of one shift and the or the supervisors or the food and drink during their 3 hour delivery, which is member explained: need to toughen up on it". start of the next. The managers and so these shifts, has proven widely a lot of heavy lifting and "On particularly busy It has also allegedly anonymous member changes just get imple- unpopular amongst the it takes up a lot of time shifts, kitchen will make been claimed that the of staff added: "if the mented without thinking Beit bars student staff. and is very intense." An surplus curly fries because reason for the lack of Union is going to go 'the about how it’s going to The aggrieved staff have anonymous Beit bars obviously everyone is margin is because "staff Working Time Directive impact us at all. No input pointed out multiple flaws student staff member coming in and ordering are basically not follow- is really important', they whatsoever. There’s been in the new policy. added, "so they do a lot in curly fries and burgers, ing the rules with food". should actually follow the a lot of upset and this is these morning shifts but, which come with curly The Union allegedly Working Time Directive just going to be a massive because it’s under 6 hours, fries. At the end of the further justifies this policy and not just the bits that kick in the teeth." “Everybody it’s not considered hard shifts, sometimes there’s by claiming “it obeys the benefit them for profit." The growing unrest work." In reality, a stipu- a box or two, not even a Working Time Directive”. A concerned student comes amongst claims hates this lation of this policy is that ridiculous amount, and One Beit bars student staff told Felix: "It underscores of alleged manipulative staff will no longer be able they’re saying that the member commented: "It some of the hypocrisy of abuse, emotional manip- policy!” to eat unless they work an kitchen aren’t allowed sets the minimum possi- discussions around the ulation and work place evening shift, which will to give that to staff; they ble break time you can set bar... should the Union bullying within the Beit then pass midnight. have to throw it in the under the Working Time have to be dragged into bars staff and following Key features of the bin. Even if the kitchen Directive. The reality is, treating its staff fairly?” a dispute surrounding policy include a 15% is closed. You can’t take on a 13 or 14 hour Sports In staff welfare paying Beit bars student discount off the full item “The entire it, it would be stealing.