Union shop to sell not for profit sanitary products

Christopher Kaye, Deputy President (Welfare), achieved victory in Union Council this week when his paper on reducing the cost of female sanitary products was passed by those present.

The paper outlined his plans to reduce the cost of the sanitary products available in the Union Shop Extra on the Sherfield Walkway, which currently are sold at a price that includes a profit margin between 30% and 40%.

Kaye started looking into the issue a few months prior to the Council meeting, after receiving an email from a student concerning the availably of sanitary produce on campus. Said Kaye, “it was an issue I became very motivated about fixing.”

“A big part of my manifesto was about engaging women in science so it just seemed right to me that basic essentials for women should be sold at the lowest cost possible.”

Kaye spoke to the Union Management Team who dictate the prices in the shop, and determined the financial implications reducing the profit margin may have. The management team was amenable to the idea, so long as the student body also supported it, so Kaye took the paper to Union Council, which met last Tuesday.

Council passed the paper, although not after debate. One member complained that if these ‘essentials’ are to be sold without a profit margin, others, “such as water”, should be sold without a margin too. Kaye told the member that he should then just get it out the tap.

From March, the products will be approximately a third cheaper.

Felix spoke to Kaye, who told us “the battle continues - I want there to be more vending machines available 24 hours a day for students and staff alike.”