albertoIWGB President Alberto Durango has been summoned by police following last month’s strike action at the University of London.

Durango is alleged to have ‘prevented University of London catering staff from entering the grounds of Senate House’, and could potentially face charges under the Public Order Act.

The University of London, which has faced unprecedented strikes by outsourced workers in the last few months, has continued to take a baffling hard line in response to the relatively mild demands of the strikers that their terms and conditions be brought in line with those of direct employees, and that their union, the IWGB, be recognised.

Rather than sit down with representatives of the workers, the University has instead pressed for the prosecution of a student protester for chalking, and now looks to be attempting to criminalise a hard-working and effective union leader.

It is interesting that when the management-approved unions UNISON and UCU strike at Senate House, the University shows no interest in their pickets. However, when a union of largely low-paid, immigrant workers takes such action, the University seeks every avenue to attempt to punish these employees for their temerity in asking for equal treatment with their directly-employed colleagues.