Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – Universities of London Branch

Following the initial meeting, we were invited to submit a paper suggesting how we could reform the current JNCC (the Joint Negotiating and Consultation Committee) – and ours is attached!

We took on board feedback from everyone who got back to us, and with these proposals we’re trying to cover the following main points:

1. Expanding the JNCC – we’re proposing that membership of the JNCC is expanded to include all three unions
2. Improving the JNCC – there are various suggestions as to how to make this group more open and efficient
3. Ensuring non-union members are informed and consulted with – under our new proposals all three unions would be obliged to report back after JNCC meetings to non-members, and similarly to ensure the JNCC discusses their concerns

There’s plenty of detail in the attached, but we hope that it makes our case clear, and shows how this new arrangement will benefit staff and University alike.

BREAKING NEWS – UCU HAVE VOTED FOR STRIKE ACTION! THEY WILL BE ANNOUNCING DETAILS ON THE 6 MAY!

Latest developments with regard to this year’s pay claim are as follows:

• On Thursday 28 April, the employers’ made a final offer for the 2016-17 pay round, of 1.1% on all points (full details are available here)
• The UCU ballot on strike action closed today – results are expected soon
• UNISON’s HE service group executive will meet on 10 May 2016 to consider a response to the final offer

What will happen next?

The IWGB has called for a 5% increase, which is line with the demands of other unions at a national level. This would still only go a small way to redressing the 14.5% drop in real income we have suffered over the last six years.

In order to get anywhere near this figure, we are going to need to take strike action. For IWGB members, this means supporting any UCU strike here at the University of London, first by not crossing their picket lines and second by balloting for action ourselves.

It’s a serious step to take industrial action – but it is the only way we are going to get a fair pay rise.

As soon as we have more details we will let you know BUT if you have any questions do drop danny.millum@sas.ac.uk a line.

Thanks to everyone who came on Saturday – apart from our President being struck down beforehand by a mysterious vomiting virus (we blame Cordant), everything went well, and we managed to elect people for 2016-17 for the following positions:

• Chair: Maritza Castillo Calle
• Vice Chair: Wilson Ayala Romero
• Branch Secretary: Catherine Morrissey
• Treasurer: Lindsey Caffin
• 2nd Treasurer: Alison Hunter
• Communications Officer: Rebecca Dooley
• Recruitment Officer: Cristobal Maldonado
• Campaigns Officer: Norbey Urreste
• Education Officer: Sam Dolbear
• Trustee 1: Frankie Cunha
• Trustee 2: Marty Steer

Special thanks as well to everyone who helped out – and a special shout to Camila for her brilliant translation!

If you missed it, and want any of the reports or information, just contact us at uol@iwgb.org.uk.

Massive victory for IWGB at the University of London – Cordant back down under the threat of an employment tribunal and agree to keep payment date the same for security and porters!

The Annual General Meeting of the University of London branch of the IWGB will take place this Saturday 23rd April at 4pm in SOAS (Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG).

We’ll be in the lecture theatre just on the left (as you go into the main College Building) for the main meeting. The full agenda is here.

It’s really important that as many of you as possible come along – we need all members to take part in electing officials, picking trustees and finding out what we’ve been doing all year!

After the meeting there will be a party in the SOAS JCR / Student Union bar – there will be Latino food (free to all members), drink, music, dancing and a raffle. Everyone is welcome, so feel free to bring down friends and family!

Call Henry 07922 810 798 or email danny.millum@sas.ac.uk for details.

The first higher education pay meeting with the national employers’ organisation UCEA was held on 22 March 2016, at the unions presented the joint trade union claim, which was for a significant pay rise and an uplift for the lowest paid based on the Foundation Living Wage rates.

The employers offered a miserly 1%, which was rejected.

The next meeting is scheduled for 28th April, at which the employers are meant to present their final offer.

However, UCU have already begun the process of balloting their members for industrial action – their ballot will take place from 14 April to 4 May (https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/8151/HE-pay-update).

The other unions are waiting for the final offer before they ballot.

As you know, the IWGB’s position was to call for a 5% pay rise, and we have in addition been working with other local unions to put pressure on our employers directly while negotiations are ongoing.

In order to get a proper pay rise, we will need to be prepared to take industrial action (even the threat of such action can often be very effective) – and we would obviously want to coordinate any strike action with national action taken by other unions at universities across the country.

In order to be in a position to do this, we would need to hold a formal ballot of all members. We’ll be in touch soon about this, but in the meantime let us know what you think about pay, about possible action – all questions or suggestions welcome!

They never seem to learn. The new University of London contractor Cordant took over less than a month ago, promising a new start etc etc.

Unbelievably, however, after less than a month in place, they have already forced the IWGB to lodge an employment tribunal claim – having unilaterally changed the payment date for porters and security guards working on the contract.

Perhaps they thought that when we met with them to voice workers’ concerns,and sent them detailed feedback as to where they were infringing employment law, we were not serious. Perhaps they thought that the workers we are representing were powerless, and could be ignored if they complained.

Hopefully the court action detailed below will disabuse them of this notion…

Dear Chris and David,

I am writing to inform you that we have now submitted the first employment tribunal claim against you for a violation of the TUPE regs.

I must say, given that the violation is black and white (changing the contractual payment date for the workers), you were warned of this beforehand, and we offered to find a negotiated solution to avoid a tribunal claim, it is nothing short of surreal that you have still not avoided the claim. If this is how you intend to conduct industrial relations with the IWGB over the coming years, trust me, you will regret it.

So now you will not only end up having to change the pay date, but you will also need to spend money on lawyers to defend a claim you are bound to loose.  Although three weeks ago I would have said it would have been impossible for the University of London to contract with an organization more incompetent than Cofely, I am now being forced to reconsider.

Kind regards,

Dr. Jason Moyer-Lee

President

IWGB

PS you still haven’t answered my emails from weeks ago raising numerous concerns on behalf of your employees.

The IWGB has formally entered into dispute with the Royal College of Music over the unfair and prolonged suspension of Cristobal Barzallo Maldonado, the inability of Ocean cleaners to accumulate enough holidays to return home on a regular basis, and Ocean’s failure to stick to its deal with us to sign a recognition agreement.

If these issues are not resolved we will be balloting for industrial action and the RCM workers will go on strike.

See full letter below:

Hi John,

I am writing to give you formal notice of a dispute between the IWGB and Ocean over the unfair and prolonged suspension of Cristobal Barzallo Maldonado, the inability of Ocean cleaners to accumulate enough holidays to return home on a regular basis, and Ocean’s failure to stick to its deal with us to sign a recognition agreement.  Please find the notice attached.  If these issues are not resolved we will be balloting for industrial action and the RCM workers will go on strike.  To be fair, each of these three issues has been months in the making and the IWGB has bent over backwards to try and resolve each of these through dialogue.  For example:

1. Cristobal was suspended over one month ago and there is still no word on his reinstatement.  I understand that he was suspended due to a request from the Royal College of Music as the RCM was not happy that an area had not been cleaned for some big event and deemed Cristobal responsible.  I must say, I find surprising that an academic institution did not have a more inquisitive attitude to the problem before ordering you to suspend him.  Indeed had the RCM and you been a bit more curious about the matter you would have discovered that when Cristobal arrived on site he realized that the area in question had not been cleaned as the day shift cleaner had not cleaned the area.  Cristobal called his manager, Francisco to report the matter and Francisco told him he would come to the RCM to resolve the issue.  Cristobal therefore carried out his duties as normal as well as particular areas he had been instructed to clean (which didn’t include cleaning the area in question).  However Francisco didn’t show up.  Fracisco later admitted that he didn’t show up because he had fallen asleep!  He even apologised to Cristobal about this but Cristobal miraculously remains suspended.  Needless to say, a suspension of over one month, with the implicit threat of him losing his job, has caused an incredible amount of stress on a worker who prior to this had never had problems at work.  The IWGB has cooperated with your “investigation”- indeed both Cristobal and I have met with you or other managers from Ocean and we have repeatedly inquired about the progress.  But enough is enough.  I understand you might be in an awkward position because RCM is demanding you do something unreasonable but that is not our problem  Cristobal needs to be reinstated immediately, failing which the RCM workers will go on strike and the strike will be greatly publicized.  Also, if any disciplinary action is taken against Cristobal we will pursue the matter to the full extent of the law.  And I will most certainly be applying for orders from the employment tribunal to compel the relevant RCM managers to appear in court over the matter.
2. We have been discussing, for over 3 months, our request for Ocean employees to be able to use all of their holidays in one go so that they can return home and visit their family (most of whom are in Latin America).  Adjusting the holiday policy to allow them to do this costs you nothing and is a simple matter of humanity.  We have even made some proposals as to how you could implement this change which you yourself said were reasonable.  Yet the issue keeps getting kicked back from month to month, with one broken promise after another and a persistent effort on the part of Ocean to remove the item from discussion.  This is precisely the sort of behavior that generates so much bad will amongst your employees.
3. We agreed about four months ago to sign a recognition agreement by the end of March.  Yet like so many other things, after months of negotiations you are now stalling and seemingly attempting to back out.  I have requested meetings to discuss the matter which have not been granted.  We had a meeting schedule for last week which you cancelled with less than 48 hours notice and have not responded to my attempt to reschedule.  I made clear from the very beginning that we are interested in serious recognition for the purposes of collective bargaining with regard to the worksites where we are the biggest union for your employees.  We have tried to resolve matters for months through dialogue, but as I made clear from the very beginning, if dialogue does not produce results then you cannot expect us to just give up on pursuing the interests of our members.

Thank you very much in advance for your attention on this matter.

Kind regards,

Dr. Jason Moyer-Lee

President

IWGB