Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – Universities of London Branch

See below for an email from Danny to Kim Frost, demonstrating that the University could bring workers in-house, pay them £12 an hour, give them pensions and still save money!

Dear Kim

I am writing with a proposal to resolve the ongoing dispute over outsourced workers’ pay, which began with security officers but is now expanding to include other groups on site who have similar issues.

In short, we propose that the University of London bring these workers back in-house.

Having done some preliminary costings for this, we believe that this could save the University money, improve staff pay and terms and conditions, and have a massively beneficial effect on the University’s reputation and everyday operations.

Following the LSE decision to bring cleaners in-house, there is an inexorable momentum in that direction. We would like to discuss the details of implementation as soon as possible – failing that, what is currently a dispute with one set of workers over pay will inevitably escalate into a full-scale in-house campaign involving all those currently outsourced on site.

More detail on the proposal can be found here.

I hope you will see the benefits of giving this proposal due and proper consideration, and bringing the affected staff in house as soon as reasonably practicable.

Best wishes

Danny

Danny Millum

Branch Secretary

University of London IWGB

https://iwgb-universityoflondon.org/

Porters and Postroom staff at the University of London have voted 100% YES on a 78% TURNOUT to join security guards in their next strike action of the ongoing dispute.

Both groups of workers are in the same position as security – their promised differentials have not been maintained and as a result their relative wages have fallen sharply.

Watch this space for announcement of the next strike dates!

Hasta la victoria siempre!

Thanks to everyone for their support for last week’s strike, which was the biggest yet! It was a massive success both in terms of security officer participation and outside support.

We’re really overwhelmed and heartened by the support we’ve received from other HE branches across London for our security officers’ strike. Whether it’s been letters to the University, banners on the picket line or strike fund donations it all makes a massive difference and is bringing victory closer. It was great to have Birkbeck UNISON, London Region UCU, London FE UCU and of course the United Voices of the World on the demo last week, as well as the fantastic SOAS Justice for Workers campaign.

This Friday we will get the result of the postroom and porters’ ballot – we are expecting a YES vote, in which case the next strike will be even bigger!

As ever, we await an offer of serious talks from the University and Cordant – until we get one, the strikes will continue, so do please support your colleagues and donate to the strike fund at https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/1870/the-independent-workers-union-of-great-britain.

Any questions, just drop Danny a line – dannymillum@iwgb.org.uk.

UoL security officers back on strike tomorrow and joining forces with SOAS outsourced workers campaign

• University of London security officers to protest together with SOAS Justice for Workers tomorrow afternoon. The Justice for Workers campaign has been occupying SOAS since last week.
• Freedom of Information request reveals University is monitoring IWGB’s twitter account.
• IWGB has balloted University of London post room workers and porters over pay, and expects to announce joint strike dates shortly.

21 June: University of London security officers will go back on strike tomorrow (22 June), just after it was revealed that the university spends resources monitoring the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain’s (IWGB) social media accounts.

The security officers continue to demand that the University and contractor Cordant Services implement a 25% pay rise promised six years ago.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by the IWGB and answered yesterday reveals that the university has been monitoring the union’s twitter accounts.

One email sent from a communications officer to other university employees reads:

“You’re probably monitoring IWGB’s account as well but thought I’d update you on the latest tweets”

IWGB University of London Branch Secretary Danny Millum has said about the revelations: “The university has used every loophole to try and hide the truth about its handling of this dispute, but what is even more shocking is that the university would rather spend resources monitoring the IWGB’s social media than paying its workers properly.”

Security officers will be striking from midnight tonight. A picket line and protest will be held outside Senate House from midday onwards. The protest will combine forces with the SOAS Justice for Workers campaign, some of whom have been occupying the university since last week, as they demand that outsourced cleaners be brought in-house.

The schedule is as follows:

12:00 Picket in front of Senate House
13:30 – 15:00 Tour of the halls to greet new residents checking in
15:00 Picket returns to Senate House
16:30 Picket heads to SOAS to join with SOAS Justice for Workers demo
17:30-19:00 Joint demonstration in the Cloisters of Senate House

The IWGB is also balloting University of London post room workers and porters over similar issues to those raised by security officers, including broken pay rise promises, and expects to announce joint strike dates soon.

A crowdfund has been set up to raise funds for the striking security officers, who are sacrificing their salary during the industrial action.

The latest news and updates on the strike can be followed on this Facebook page.

For more information:

Emiliano Mellino, Press officer (press@iwgb.co.uk)

Danny has written to the University of London to inform them of issues around understaffing on the Cordant security contract.

Dear Ghaz

I am writing to inform you of a series of issues that security officers have raised with us, which we believe indicate that Cordant may be failing to fulfil its contract with the University.

These issues relate to understaffing on the contract, and the apparent failure of Cordant to supply the hours promised to the client.

Staff have provided numerous instances where cover has not been provided, most notably when staff have been off sick or on annual leave, meaning that shifts have to be covered by existing staff. The consequence of this has been that:

• There has been no break cover officer on numerous occasions.
• Staff have been taken off Senate and Stewart House reception (where the UoL is paying to have two staff on duty) and used to cover elsewhere.
• Patrol officers have been used to cover the Halls and Institutes, meaning that on numerous occasions there has only been one patrol officer on duty instead of two.
• Staff at short notice are moved from their designated shifts and roles to other locations for ‘operational reasons’.

While occasional instances of short-staffing are inevitable, this has happened so frequently that it indicates systemic shortcomings and an under-resourcing of the contract.

Security officers whose pay differentials have been massively eroded and whose desire for talks on pay have been ignored are essentially being asked to cover for the inadequacies of Cordant in running this contract – something which seems to them to be doubly unfair, and which should not be tolerated by the University.

Can you confirm that you will investigate this as a matter of urgency?

Best wishes

Danny Millum

Branch Secretary

University of London IWGB