Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – Universities of London Branch

UoL Strike News roundup! — June 12, 2017

UoL Strike News roundup!

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Further to the two two-day strikes held in April and May, the security guards will be going on strike again on Thursday 22 June!

This is all part of the ongoing dispute surrounding the maintenance of pay differentials for security guards, which was promised in 2011 and, like so many of the University’s promises, this promise was broken! Our security guards have been fighting hard for this and are continuing to fight with another day of strike action!

But they need your support!

  1. Please help by donating to the strike fund – https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/1870/the-independent-workers-union-of-great-britain
  2. Join the picket line on 22 June
  3. Attend the open solidarity meeting on Monday 12 June, 6pm – this has been called by UCU, who want to show solidarity with our cause! (see the attached flyer for details)

On a related and celebratory note, our sister union, United Voices of the World, had a massive victory in their cleaners’ strike at LSE! Cleaners at LSE are to be brought in-house and become employees of the LSE from Spring 2018!!! This will bring them proper annual leave, sick pay and pensions – all the things every worker should be entitled to! This victory shows the power of strike action and is why we must all show our support for our security guards here at the University!

We’ve also served Cordant with notice of a ballot for strike action for the Porters and Postroom staff – the ballot will open later this week!

 

Breaking: Next Security Officers’ strike, 22 June! — June 8, 2017
Brexit and immigration: UoL presentation for EU staff — June 5, 2017
UCL UCU writes in support of the Security Officers! — June 2, 2017

UCL UCU writes in support of the Security Officers!

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The University of London is beginning to feel the damage to its reputation that Cordant’s treatment of its staff is causing. The UCU branch at the UCL Institute of Education has written to Adrian Smith, UoL Vice Chancellor, urging him to see sense and end this dispute:

Dear Professor Smith

I write on behalf of our branch – membership includes 400 academic, and academic-related, staff at the UCL Institute of Education – to urge the University of London to guarantee its security officers:

  • the 25% pay rise they were promised six years ago
  • itemised pay slips
  • greater security of employment by ending what are effectively zero-hours contracts.

Our institution is a neighbour of Senate House and a member of the University of London. We call on UoL to live out our shared values of equality and social justice with respect to this group of workers, one of the poorest, weakest and most diverse in our workforce.

Best regards

Amy Chamier

Branch Secretary
University and College Union

UCL Institute of Education (IOE)

Postroom staff join Cordant dispute! —

Postroom staff join Cordant dispute!

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Now the Postroom staff have joined the dispute against Cordant, calling for the company to honour promises to maintain pay differentials. On behalf of the affected staff, IWGB has given Cordant a deadline of Tuesday 6 June to respond positively and open negotiations. 

Dear Ms Vittorio,

We are postroom staff writing with regard to the current pay situation relating to Cordant employees on the University of London contract.

As you will be aware, in 2011 the University of London began the introduction of the London living Wage for all outsourced staff, promising at the time that ‘differentials would be maintained’.

As postroom employees, performing work that involves significant levels of skill and responsibility, we  were previously paid at an hourly rate around 25% above that of the lowest-paid staff (with supervisors being paid more).

However, this promise has not been honoured, and as a result our differential has been almost completely eroded.

We are therefore writing to request that this issue be resolved, and a rate of £12 per hour (along with an increment for supervisors) be instituted, along with a guarantee that these differentials will be maintained in future.

We are happy to enter into substantive negotiations over this, but should these not be offered we will have no option but to ballot for industrial action.

If you could respond to this letter via our IWGB union representatives that would be much appreciated.

Yours,

[Postroom staff]

UCU London Region Solidarity Meeting – new date Monday 12 June at 6pm —

UCU London Region Solidarity Meeting – new date Monday 12 June at 6pm

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UCU London Region have called a solidarity meeting for Monday 12 June at 6pm . Please share this widely! More details at https://uculondonregion.wordpress.com/2017/06/02/open-solidarity-meeting/.

Justice for University of London Cleaners and Security Officers

Please attend a solidarity meeting for security officers and cleaners who are on strike at two London universities. Security officers at the University of London, in the IWGB union, have been striking against their bosses, the subcontractor Cordant. They are demanding an end to zero hour contracts, and a pay rise promised in 2012. Cleaners at the London School of Economics and Political Science, in the UVW union, are on strike for paid paternity/maternity leave, holiday pay, and sick pay on the same terms as LSE workers. Their boss is the subcontractor Noonan Services Group. Both groups of workers need your solidarity.

Date and Venue: Monday 12 June, 6-7.30pm. Executive Suite, First Floor, UCL Front Engineering Building, opposite Waterstones on Torrington Place, WC1E 7HB

Donate:

Security officers’ strike fund – University of London IWGB branch website https://iwgb-universityoflondon.org/:

  • Name of bank: Cooperative Bank
  • Account title: IWGB University of London
  • Sort Code: 08-92-99
  • Account no: 65689615
  • Please use “SecurityofficierStrikeFund” as a reference

Justice for LSE Cleaners –  United Voices of the World: https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/justiceforlsecleaners/

  • Co-operative Bank
  • Account title: United Voices of the World
  • Sort Code: 08-92-99
  • Account Number: 65755617
  • Please use “LSECleaners” as a reference

If you have any questions, please just contact us at office@iwgb.org.uk (or call: 07508336746)

IHR Advisory Council criticises working practices —

IHR Advisory Council criticises working practices

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We’ve always argued that Cordant’s poor working practices risk harming the reputation of the Institutes and the University of London as a whole – and now the Institute for Historical Research Advisory Council agrees with us! Below is an excerpt from the minutes of the IHR Advisory Council, 12 May 2017 (draft minutes approved by Chair).

  1. The staff representative reported that he had been asked to raise the issue of the ongoing dispute between security officers employed at the University (including the IHR) and their employers, Cordant Security. It was reported to members of the Advisory Council that a two-day strike had taken place on 25-26 April 2017, and that a further strike was planned for 16-17 May 2017. Striking staff were requesting i) an end to zero- and low-hours contracts, ii) itemised pay slips, and iii) the maintenance of pay differentials between different types of workers on out-sourced contracts. The University’s position was that security staff were not employees of the University and that it did not intend to comment on the employment arrangements of another organisation.
  2. During the April strike the duties of regular security and reception staff had been covered by Cordant managers and Cordant staff normally employed at other (non-University) sites. The Acting Director reported that he had discussed with the Institute Manager whether to close the Institute during the April strike on health and safety grounds, although ultimately it had remained open. The Institute Manager reported some operational difficulties over that period, including visitors to the Institute being misdirected.
  3. IHR staff had submitted the issue for consideration with a view to the Advisory Council  asking the University to intervene in the dispute in order to prevent further industrial action, on the basis that the treatment of security staff was unethical, and that this had a negative impact on the reputation of the University and the IHR. Concerns had also been expressed about the security of the building and the safety of staff given the lack of experience and training of temporary replacement staff, and in particular their ignorance of fire evacuation procedures and of the layout of the building itself.
  4. The Council discussed the issue in detail, and agreed that it was appropriate to make its views known on this issue, noting that one of its responsibilities was protecting the reputation of the Institute. It was agreed that if what had been reported was accurate, then there was a risk that the Institute’s reputation would be harmed through being associated with ethically-dubious working practices.
  5. It was agreed that the Advisory Council should express serious concern at the current situation, with regard to both ensuring safe and secure working arrangements at the Institute, and avoiding damage to the Institute’s reputation.
  6. Members asked that an update on this issue be provided at the next meeting of the Council, and also that a representative of the University be invited to the meeting to discuss it.
BREAKING NEWS! Porters join Cordant dispute — May 31, 2017

BREAKING NEWS! Porters join Cordant dispute

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Danny Millum has written to Cordant’s Tanya Vittorio to inform her that portering staff have entered into dispute alongside the security officers. More news as it comes! 

Dear Tanya

I am writing to inform you that the portering staff at the University of London are formally entering into dispute with Cordant over pay and the erosion of differentials – for details see the attached signed letter.

As stated in the letter, we are willing to enter into substantive negotiations over this, but should we not receive a positive response by Friday 2 June 2017 we will have no option but to ballot for industrial action.

Best wishes

Danny

Danny Millum

Branch secretary

UoL IWGB

http://iwgb.org.uk/

Labour’s plans for the gig economy —