Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – Universities of London Branch

See below for an invite to attend this anti-austerity demo at the Conservative Party conference – if you are interested let us know at uol@iwgb.org.uk.

Dear UoL IWGB

NO MORE AUSTERITY | SCRAP THE PAY CAP | TORIES OUT

FOR DECENT HEALTH, HOMES, JOBS & EDUCATION

National Demonstration, Sunday 1 October 2017
Assemble 12pm, Castlefield Arena Rice Street, Manchester M3 4JR

Central London Coach – £5 waged/ £3 students/ unwaged

Leaves Eversholt Street, NW1 (side of Euston Station) at 6.30am

Returns from Manchester at 4.30pm

The SOAS UNISON branch is organising a coach to take central London trade unionists, students and community activists to Manchester for the People’s Assembly demonstration on Sunday, 1 October 2017 on the day the Conservative Party Conference opens.

We are writing to you to ask if your branch can:

• Make a donation towards the costs of the coach (The coach is costing £1,148.00 – cheques should be made payable to SOAS UNISON and sent to Peter Baran, SOAS UNISON Branch Treasurer, c/o SOAS Students’ Union, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG)

• Publicise the protest and the details of the coach to members of your branch and local community (The coach will be leaving from Eversholt Street , NW1 (next to Euston Station) at am on Sunday, 1 August 2017. Tickets are £5 waged, £3 students and unwaged although trade union branches contributing to the cost of the coach can have free tickets made available.

We have also been asked to invite you and your members to an important Keep Our NHS Public organising meeting being held at SOAS in room T102, 22 Russell Square at 6pm on Wednesday 6 September 2017 which has been called to discuss:

• Building locally to get as many people from central London as possible up to the Peoples Assembly demonstration in Manchester and;

• To build for the Camden Trades Council public meeting “Public Sector Pay – Fight to End the Cap” – a meeting called by Camden Trades Council for Wednesday 20 September, 6.30 to 8.30 PM, to boost opposition to the continued erosion of real pay across the public sector workforce.

The ongoing pay cap is a key element of the Tory government’s austerity agenda, which the trade union movement must confront and end.

Venue: Council Chamber, First Floor, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE

Speakers include:

• John McDonnell MP, the Shadow Chancellor (to be confirmed)
• Roger McKenzie, UNISON Assistant General Secretary
• Lucy Masoud, FBU London Regional Treasurer, and
• Speakers from Unite dispute on outsourced contract at Barts NHS Trust among others

The election result has left Theresa May and the Conservative Party with a weak, unstable Government. Millions of people have rejected the Tories vicious policies that only benefit those at the top.

The People’s Assembly demonstration will provide a focus for the huge opposition to the politics of austerity, racism and war and demand an alternative that works for everyone.

https://www.unison.org.uk/events/payupnowmarch/

Sandy Nicoll
SOAS UNISON Branch Secretary

After only a modicum of IWGB nagging and a mild amount of Cordant payroll incompetence all former UoL employees now TUPE’d to either Bouygues or Cordant should have received the princely national 1.7% pay rise in their August pay.

Anyone with any problems relating to this (including those who think that 1.7% is a scandalously low below inflation payrise in the first place) should drop Danny a line at dannymillum@iwgb.org.uk.

Outsourced workers and members of the IWGB at Royal College of Music have received letters and verbal assertions from their new employer Tenon FM that their hours will be cut by half and that redundancies will be made!

This is just another insult to these workers given that they were recently engaged in a collective grievance and tribunal claim dispute against their previous employer KINGDOM who was not just forced to admit that they were wrong but also forced to pay these workers thousands of pounds of back dated wages owned to them and a compensation for the poor treatment and for not wanting to provide them with their contracts of employment despite working for them for years!

The IWGB office will be closed due to staff taking annual leave from 30th August until 1st September. We will be open again next week from the 4th as usual.

If you need urgent assistance, email office@iwgb.org.uk.

La oficina del sindicato estara cerrada por motivo de vacaciones desde el 30 de agosto hasta el 1 de septiembre y habrira normalmente el lunes 4 de septiembre.

Si necesita ayuda inmediata comuniquese al office@iwgb.org.uk.

El sindicato esta organizando una reunión especial para los trabajadores de la rama Universidad de Londres, para discutir el tema de esta campana.

¡Anoten esta fecha!

¿Cuándo?

El sábado 9 de septiembre 2017, de 1-3pm

¿Dónde?

En Senate House – salon Wolfson Suite, IHR (sótano)

¿De que se trata?

Reciemente, compañeros trabajadores de la Universidad de SOAS y del LSE lograron ganar sus campañas para ‘trabajar directamente para la Universidad’ lo cual significa que ya no seran subcontratados y desde el proximo ano trabajaran directamente para el instituto donde trabajan, los cuales tambien forman parte de la Universidad de Londres.

Como ustedes saben, nosotros  hemos tenido muchos problemas con las companias subcontratadoras, por ejemplo por pagos, por falta de comunicacion y por muchas razones mas. Esta tal vez sea una campana dificil de ganarla pero no imposible si nos unimos tambien.

¿Queremos hacer una campaña similar? Eso es lo que tenemos que decidir.

Por eso, nececitamos las voces de todos los miembros afectados.

Este es tu trabajo, tu sindicato, y tu decision.

¡Asiste y ven a dar tu punto de vista y tu voto!

Recuerda que de tu participacion depende el tener un fututo mejor y un trabajo mas digno y seguro!

Para mas detalles, hable con: Emiliano, Henry, Maritza, Danny o Catherine.

Te esperamos!!

Branch meeting on Friday – usual place, usual time!

As ever, it would be really great if you could spare half-an-hour to attend – we’ve got lost of important stuff to talk about, including

• the big strike and demo which is planned at the University of London for the 27 September
• our pay rise (don’t get too excited)
• the QSG review and other planned UoLIA reviews

As ever, if you have any suggestions for the agenda just let us know, and if you get lost give me a call on 07783719479!

See you Friday

Cheers

Danny

You may have seen on the Intranet that the national pay negotiations have concluded and the national unions (including UCU and Unison) have accepted the final offer of a 1.7% pay rise. This will therefore be implemented from 1 August and will appear in our August salary.

As in previous years, we feel that this offer is completely inadequate but, as all of the nationally-negotiating unions have already accepted it, we will not be taking action to oppose it. We will instead be sure to start the campaign for a better pay rise next year in earnest!

This also seems like a good time to say that the University will be required to start taking action to create the ICE forum very shortly and we need you to volunteer to be representatives! While we may be unable to negotiate pay at a national level, we can use the ICE forum to vocalise our opposition to the continued below par offers, which can in turn impact on national negotiations! We therefore need the ICE forum to have some real teeth and be filled with as many IWGB members as possible!!!

Please get in touch with Rebecca if you would be interested in becoming an ICE representative!

Kim Frost has replied to IWGB’s questions about asbestos in University of London buildings. The full reply is below. If you’ve got any additional concerns, please get in touch with Danny.

Dear Danny,

I am sorry that absence from the office has meant my reply has come later than I would normally have hoped. You have asked a number of questions and I’ll address each in turn:

1. That the University provide a full asbestos management plan 

The asbestos management plan has been amended and updated.  The draft will be submitted for review and approval by the Health and Safety Committee which is scheduled to meet on the 25th September 2017.  Members’ comments will be  incorporated and the final version of the plan will be published on the intranet once finally approved by the Committee. A copy will also be provided to relevant UoL and Bouygues staff.

2. That the University (as promised in February) provide a fully accessible and up to date asbestos survey database 

We have now collated all existing surveys into one location and the University’s Compliance Manager, as well as Bouygues managers are able to access this information when needed. Asbestos surveyors are currently being appointed to resurvey the entire estates to ensure accuracy of our records,. Once this work is complete a full web based data base will become available.

In the meantime, and to manage any risks of exposure, all works to any part of the estate by any contractor, which requires intervention with the fabric of any of the buildings, is being managed through the helpdesk. A protocol is in place to ensure that the Compliance Manager reviews and approves works, confirming status of asbestos surveys of the affected area before any work is carried out.

3. That the University arrange for a full medical examination and scan for all employees who wish it 

The University will arrange for individual referrals to Occupational Health.  University of London and Bouygues staff should contact Claire Westgate and Rachel Harris (HR Department, University of London) if they would like a referral to be arranged.  Where the Occupational Health report recommends a follow-up x-ray/scan, and it is not possible to obtain this within a clinically appropriate timeframe, the University will arrange for this to take place privately.

Contact details for HR:

Claire Westgate          Rachel Harris

4. That the University commission an independent review into the handling of this issue 

The University has engaged with independent advisors and specialists since we became aware of this matter.  Martin Stear BSc DipOH CFFOH (Chartered Occupational Hygienist) has attended the University on two occasions (December 2016 and July 2017) to provide briefings and 1:1 sessions with University of London and Bouygues staff.  Following the briefing with Martin Stear on 20^th July, the University will be setting up a Compliance sub-group. This sub-group will be responsible for the governance of compliance matters across the University, including the management of asbestos. It will report to Health and Safety Committee and its membership will include Trade Union representatives from UCU and Unison, UoL staff representatives and representatives from Bouygues and other contractors as appropriate.  The terms of reference of this sub-group will be drawn up over the coming weeks and the first meeting will be arranged for the start of the academic year.

5. That the University provide compensation for the stress and potential health and safety impact of this exposure produced by their negligence 

University of London members of staff have access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) through the staff benefits portal.  The EAP can provide confidential legal advice should anyone wish to discuss any individual circumstances or concerns.  The University has arranged for members of staff from Bouygues to also be able to contact the University’s EAP helpline. Contact details will be provided through Greg Hayman. The University does not accept that it has been negligent in respect of the management of University buildings.

6. That the University contact ALL potentially affected ex-employees as soon as possible 

The University has received advice that it is reasonable for the University to focus contact on current employees and contractors at this time.  However, the University’s records include all those who we know are likely to have been exposed and should we be contacted by ex-employees in relation to this matter then we will share the information and advice that we have received.

7. That the University immediately close and seal off the Student Central pool area 

The pool area is closed and sealed off.  Where access is still permitted, the University can confirm that this is because it is safe to do so.  No members of staff are being asked to work in any unsafe areas; a review of the estate has been carried out and any unsafe areas have been locked down with access only permitted to those who have had the appropriate training.

Best wishes

Kim

SOAS has agreed to bring all its core support workers in-house by September 2018, the school announced on Friday in an e-mail sent to all its students.

The announcement has brought forward by 12 months existing plans to self-deliver cleaning services by 2019, according to a letter sent by the University to the Student’s Union. It also extends the changes to apply to all of its core services staff; including catering, security and various other essential support staff. Overall this will bring in house more than 120 workers who currently are outsourced.

Under this agreement, all workers will be entitled to “equal terms and conditions with existing SOAS employees”, including sick pay, pensions and holidays. The changes will apply to all outsourced staff regardless of whether they are employed full-time, part-time, or on casual contracts.

This is a massive victory at SOAS – and also a sign of things to come at the University of London!

See the SOAS Justice for Workers page for more details!