IWGB is looking for English language teachers!

We are looking for experienced volunteers (with CELTA/TEFL) to run weekly language classes on Saturdays, both beginner and intermediate level.

If you are interested please get in touch with our Education Officer Jamie (jamie.woodcock@gmail.com).

We would like to apologise to members who attended last Wednesday’s IWGB meeting at Senate House where they were told that the two per cent pay award had been implemented. This was an unintentional error.

Plans are to implement the award in the October payroll. However, unions have rejected this nationally and, currently ballots for strike action are taking place.

We will keep you up-to-date with developments.

As a consequence of our recent rapid growth, expansion into new workplaces and increased campaign activity the University of London IWGB Branch is looking for a branch organiser and caseworker.

2 days a week initially, but increasing to at least 3 and possibly more in future. This is a permanent position.

The majority of our members are outsourced migrant workers, often with English as a second language, and as a consequence this requires a different approach to union organising than the traditional top down service model.

The role will involve:

• assisting our campaigns officer, including working on the ongoing University of London in-house campaign
• mapping workplaces and updating membership lists
• improving branch communication both through social media, email, text and Whatsapp and in person
• organising meetings
• organising and liaising with workers (particularly outsourced) to increase participation, resolve workplace issues and build branch capacity
• performing basic casework

The ideal candidate will:

• speak Spanish (essential)
• have experience of campaign organising
• have experience of working with and representing low-paid outsourced workers
• have some casework / employment law experience
• enjoy working with, enthusing and engaging workers from different backgrounds often working long hours in a variety of precarious jobs

BUT if you think you’re up for this then please do apply – the major essential requirements are enthusiasm and commitment to a tough but unbelievably worthwhile and rewarding job!

Please send a short CV and covering letter to sebastienflais@iwgb.co.uk by 14 September 2018. Any questions contact Danny at dannymillum@iwgb.co.uk.

Everyone working for the IWGB gets paid London Living Wage + £1 (currently £11.20) and receives a good sick pay / holiday / pension package.

From today every single SOAS worker is employed directly on SOAS terms and conditions.

This is massive – they fought for TEN YEARS for this.

Huge congratulations to all the workers and campaigners – and a special shout out to the great Sandy Nicoll…

University of London?

Thanks to UCU for passing on the reply below from Chris Cobb with some more concrete details as to the in-house process and timetable.

For the first time we have some almost concrete dates for some workers. The key section is below, and should be viewed as a massive concrete success for the in-house campaign, in that we now know that soon many outsourced workers will be in-house.

In other words, our tactics are working.

However, it is now even more important that we intensify our efforts when the new academic year starts to force the University to ensure ALL workers are in-house by June next year. (Details of the next steps of the campaign will follow soon!)

The current planning is focused on the following services: security, reception, switchboard, porters, post room, AV and cleaning. 

If our current planning progresses as anticipated and our plans are subsequently accepted by the Board of Trustees in the autumn, our aim would be to put in a place an in-house service provision for reception, porters, post room and AV during the second and third (calendar) quarters of 2019.

You will understand that we are not able to be absolute in our timings and the above provisional timings will be subject to discussion with our suppliers and further informed by our, and our suppliers, statutory obligations in respect of the people they (our suppliers) employ to work at the University.

The security and cleaning services are quite complex in that they involve more work streams than the other services and rely on specialist contractors to an extent that the other services do not.  The planning in relation to these services will inevitably therefore take longer.  Our aim however is to be in a position to outline a provisional timeline in relation to cleaning services by the end of October 2018 and in relation to security by December 2018.

We are not yet in a position to add anything by way of further update in relation to our hard FM, catering and grounds services for the reasons set out in the statement of 29^th June 2018.  Please be assured however that we remain in active discussion with the current service providers.

The full letter is available here.

Following the recent creation of new posts for health and safety and women’s officers, it has been suggested that we should also create a black and minority ethnic officer.

Given the large proportion of BME members in the UoL branch AND the ongoing discrimination many of them face as outsourced workers we are keen to make sure that they are properly represented.

We will be voting on this at the next branch meeting (Wednesday 29 August, 1230, Lower Mezzanine Floor) and it would be great to have your thoughts and for anyone interested to volunteer.

Drop Danny dannymillum@iwgb.co.uk if you have any questions.

This sis just a quick heads up that on Saturday 15 September we will be having a party to raise strike funds for our IWGB in-house campaign, featuring:

• music
• dancing
• food
• drink
• bingo and raffle

All members and non-members are welcome from 4.30-11.30 in the Student Union at SOAS. More details to follow!