The fight for justice, dignity and respect at the University of Greenwich is now on! The IWGB represents workers at the University of Greenwich.

We’re demanding that outsourced workers be brought in-house with full parity of terms of conditions. In October 2019, after pressure from the IWGB and United Voices of the World, the University committed to paying all facilities staff the London Living Wage.

Security officers, porters and cleaners at University of Greenwich are united and determined to fight to end the discriminatory and structurally racist practice of outsourcing, and win the justice, equality and dignity that we deserve.

Outsourced workers at UoG suffer from far worse terms and conditions than our colleagues who are directly employed by the university, even though it was us who kept the university going during the pandemic.

  • We are paid less than colleagues directly employed by the university, despite being a key part of the university community and working hard to keep the university safe throughout the pandemic. We are on £10.75 per hour, while directly employed colleagues on a similar grade earn around £14 + London weighting. In a time of hardship, when many of our families are struggling, universities like Greenwich should not allow us to be on low pay.
  • Our meagre pensions mean we do backbreaking work into old age and then retire into poverty. We receive 3% employer pension contributions, while direct employees have access to a final salary pension scheme. Whilst we are thanked for keeping the university running during the pandemic, we are discarded when we can no longer work.
  • We receive less sick pay (1 month maximum, whereas direct employees have full occupational sick pay) which means that if we get seriously ill we do not get the support we need.
  • We receive miserly parental leave entitlements, meaning that those of us who have children get very little time with them before having to get back to our long working hours.

We are also more likely to suffer bullying and discriminatory behaviour than our directly employed colleagues – a situation which is facilitated by our employer’s lack of accountability. Our colleague Kingsley was the recent victim of this, we came together to fight to have him reinstated and now we’re fighting for justice for all of us. Others of our colleagues have also suffered bullying treatment.

Moreover, Sodexo has refused to pay security workers (majority of whom are BAME) the same £300 bonus that was paid to porters (majority of whom are White British) for working during the pandemic. This is clear evidence of how structural racism is perpetuated through outsourcing.

Outsourcing is a choice by university management. We know that directly employing us and giving us equal terms and conditions would actually be cost neutral for the university (due to not paying VAT)! And from the many campaigns that have in-housed staff in London universities, we know it is possible.

Despite this, UoG continues to treat the mostly BAME outsourced workforce as second class workers, denying us many of the basic rights that all other UoG employees take for granted.

IT’S TIME FOR GREENWICH TO END OUTSOURCING.