Short-time work in Corona times Mensa employees in Bonn fear for their jobs
Bonn · Most of the refectories of the Studierendenwerk Bonn have been closed for months due to the Corona Pandemic. Around 200 employees are on short-time working. Many of them are now worried about their jobs.
The Studierendenwerk Bonn runs five refectories and ten cafés. Thousands of lunches, countless sandwiches and other snacks are served daily. With the lockdown, the kitchens, with the exception of the bistro on the campus of the university hospitals, were closed down. Since then, 200 employees from the catering sector have been on short-time working. The fear of job loss is making the rounds. However, the student union sees no reason for this.
"We have significantly expanded our mobile working and have largely applied for short-time work for the employees in the university gastronomy sector - with an increase in salaries to 100 percent," explained Studentenwerk spokesperson Thomas Anders. This is also intended in principle beyond 2020, depending on the situation. "Otherwise, these regulations rule out any dismissals for operational reasons.
The Studierendenwerk had not yet announced any dismissals due to Corona. "This is neither planned nor intended in the future," Anders assures.
Especially since life is slowly but surely returning to the refectories and cafés. "Wherever we can represent it, we are again expanding our service and bringing our employees back from short-time work to their normal working day, which is already happening at the moment with rolling schedules," says Anders.
For example, the café on the Poppelsdorf campus on the ground floor of the "Campo" canteen - old-established Bonners know it more as a pop canteen - has been open again since 31 August. The cafés on Mensa Nassestraße and in the main building are also open again. However, you can only be seated in the "unique" café in the main building - in all other cafés (including the Unicafés in the Rheinbach and Sankt Augustin Universities of Applied Sciences, which are also run by the Studierendenwerk), food and drinks are currently only available to take away. "Our only gradual opening has, in addition to the corona regulations, above all been with the background of the very low presence of students and staff at the university".
1000 meals per day are economical
For the coming semester, which will begin at the end of October, the Studierendenwerk expects a somewhat higher presence on campus again. According to Anders, the university is expecting 25 percent. Against this background, the canteen on campus is expected to open from 5 October. Depending on the state of the pandemic, it is planned to offer seats again in accordance with the Corona rules.
In order to be able to work reasonably economically, at least around 1000 meals a day must be served, Anders knows. The interim canteen at the Hofgarten is also scheduled to open on 2 November. As reported, the Nassestraße canteen will be demolished and rebuilt. The development plan is currently being opened up. The erection of tents in front of the main university building is in full swing. There will be seats there as well. Meals are prepared in the canteen kitchens in Poppelsdorf and in the university bistro on the Venusberg.
Original text: Lisa Inhoffen
Translation: Mareike Graepel
