Shannon puts hopes in new student union
Focus on rights in workplace
A Castlemilk woman is hoping to help improve the lives of students across Scotland as part of a new trade union.
Shannon Kerrigan, 21, has signed up to become an ambassador for the Student Community Union, whose aim is to fight for students’ rights in the workforce.
An applied science student at Glasgow Clyde College’s Cardonald campus, Shannon is determined to do her bit.
She said: “When I first got an email about the trade union I wasn’t sure what it was but I was keen to find out.
“When I found out more it just seemed really relevant.
“They were talking about things like zero-hours contracts or sexism in the workplace.
“Another thing is employers putting students under pressure to do shifts. That’s something that is just accepted in society and we want to change that.
“We also campaign for bursaries over the summer because 30 per cent of students find themselves homeless.”
Shannon, a former pupil at Croftfoot, Spittal and St Mark’s primaries as well as King’s Park Secondary, reckons the current political climate has forced her to go from having strong views to actually acting on them.
“My mum has always been political and I have always been very, very left-wing,” she said. “But it seems to me even the left-wing parties are moving to the right.
“I’ve not always been politically active but now I am active I am really enjoying it.”
The group have a number of events planned, including some in the Rutherglen and Cambuslang area.
On Friday night they hosted an LGBT film night in Motherwell.
Shannon added: “We’re still very new. It only started up in June last year.
“We’re not affiliated with the National Union of Students but you find they are not as well promoted in colleges.
“They also deal with life in education but we look at students in the workplace.”