Last Saturday, representatives of cleaners at UCL attended their Campaign General Meeting 2020 to discuss the next steps in the campaign and the current situation following UCL’s announcement of improved terms and conditions for outsourced staff.
On 28 November, following the biggest strike of outsourced workers in the history of Education UCL announced improvements to outsourced workers’ terms and conditions:
- UCL confirmed outsourced workers will receive increased holiday entitlement from 1 December 2019.
- UCL would implement improved pay on 1 April 2020 and equal sickness benefits on 1 July 2020.
See full statement here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/nov/equalised-pay-and-benefits-confirmed-ucls-security-cleaning-portering-and-catering-staff
In the General Meeting the representatives agreed that this had been a major step in their campaign and the improvements constituted a victory in itself. However, the all shared the feeling that the announcement was not enough and considered that some very important element were missing from UCL’s current positions on outsourcing:
- UCL do not say what will happen with pay and the pay grade that will be given to Cleaners and Porters
- UCL’s announcement does not yet mention a timeline for other benefits such as pensions and parental leave. Parity means nothing without such rights!
- Furthermore, UCL has committed to ending outsourcing.
Following a lengthy and fruitful discussion, the representatives renewed their commitment to continue the End Outsourcing Campaign and decided to centre this on some key demands:
- Ending Outsourcing and for UCL to take directly responsibility for the employment of Cleaners and Porters (and all other outsourced workers)
- Fighting to a decent salary, which would mean Cleaner and Porters to be placed on Grade 6 of the UCL pay scale
- Along with the implementation of Occupational Sick Pay in July 2020, for UCL to also implement Pension benefit and parental leave.
- For UCL to ban zero hours contracts and for all current casual workers to be provided with permanent contract of employment reflecting their hours of work.
- UCL to include all unions representing outsourced workers on campus in the negotiations of their terms and conditions.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to pursue action, with a protest scheduled within the next month and strike plans in the making. The representatives also wrote individual letters to UCL council member to demand the inclusion of the IWGB in the current negotiations regarding outsourcing. We will be soon sharing the letters on social media!
The fight continues at UCL!
1. Women’s Strike March
We will be joining the Women’s Strike March in London on 08/03/20 to celebrate International Women’s Day.
All women and non-binary members and friends of the IWGB are invited to join. We will meet in Cavendish Square from 1:30pm – look out for the IWGB flags and (hopefully) an IWGB Women banner!
Join and share the Facebook event here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/womenstrike.uk/events/
Women’s Strike Assembly is running free childcare at various locations on the day:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/womenstrike.uk/events/
Nos uniremos a la Marcha de Huelga de las Mujeres en Londres el 08/03/20 para celebrar el Día Internacional de la Mujer.
Todas las mujeres y los miembros no binarios y amigos de la IWGB están invitados a unirse. Nos reuniremos en Cavendish Square a partir de la 1:30pm – ¡cuidado con las banderas de la IWGB y (con suerte) con una bandera de las Mujeres de la IWGB!
Únete y comparte el evento de Facebook aquí:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/womenstrike.uk/events/
La Women’s Strike Assembly está organizando una guardería gratuita en varios lugares durante el día:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/womenstrike.uk/events/
2. Organiser training
Our next Organiser Training for women and non-binary members will be Saturday 4th April, 2-5pm!
Please see the following flyer for details. Reply to laurawormington@iwgb.co.uk to let us know if you would like to join; if you have any dietary / access requirements; if you will need childcare; and if there is anything in particular you would like the training to cover.
This training will be in English. If you would be interested in coming to one in Spanish, please reply to this email to let us know.
Nuestro próximo entrenamiento de organizadores para mujeres y miembros no binarios será el sábado 4 de abril, de 2 a 5 pm!
Por favor, responde a laurawormington@iwgb.co.uk para hacernos saber si te gustaría participar, si tienes algún requisito de acceso o dieta, si necesitarás cuidado de niños, y si hay algo en particular que te gustaría que el entrenamiento cubriera.
Este entrenamiento será en inglés. Si desea que celebremos una en español, por favor, responda a este correo electrónico.
Over 120 UCL security officers currently employed by the security contractor Axis have signed an open letter to UCL’s University Council detailing their demands for equality of terms and conditions for outsourced staff at UCL and for an end to outsourcing.
These officers are essential to the operation of UCL, and the unequal conditions under which they work are a disgrace. This is only made worse by the incompetence of the contractor Axis who in their second year on the contract are still unable to pay staff correctly.
They have asked that this letter is circulated to the full University Council, and discussed at their meeting tomorrow.
The resolution requested by the officers is that the contract be terminated and that they be brought in-house on equal terms and conditions as the former UCL security officers.
See the full letter and signatures here, and please contact Charlie (charliemacnamara@iwgb.co.uk) with any questions.
On 8 October 2019, IWGB launched the UCL End Outsourcing Campaign. Since then, we have achieved many things: outsourcing has been brought to light at UCL and our strikes have led to immediate improvements to our terms and conditions.
Moreover, we have achieved a unity and solidarity among workers never seen at UCL. These past few months have consolidated the IWGB as union at UCL and shown UCL’s cleaners and porters have the strenght to bring change.
However, much remains to be done. UCL’S promises of improvement are a good sign, but they are not enough. We have a lot to accomplish before us:
- We must continue to fight for a decent salary
- We need to fight for the elimination of zero hour contracts
- We must ensure that sick pay is confirmed and implemented
- and the most fundamental: we will continue to fight for the IN-HOUSE!
On Saturday 8 February, come to our campaign meeting to discuss these demands and decide the strategy of our campaign.
This is your oppotunity to define the direction of our campaign and of the IWGB at UCL.
You decide the next steps of this campaign! You are the union!
UCL cleaners, security, students, volunteers and IWGB staff gathered at 8am this morning for the weekly IWGB breakfast stall on Malet Place.
As UCL cleaners finish their shifts on Fridays, they meet with others involved in the union and the in-house campaign at UCL to share coffee, pastries, life updates, and any issues they’re facing at work.
The stalls are an important part of the campaign at UCL and the general union presence at UCL. They provide an opportunity for workers to resolve any workplace issues (like missing holiday pay or wrongly issued uniforms) with caseworkers and organisers from the union. But most importantly they’re a space for strengthening relationships and building the community that has helped make the campaign so successful so far.
If you would like to come along to the next stall, we meet at 8am at the entrance to UCL on Malet Place every Friday.
IWGB makes call for solidarity and defence of free assembly as Chair of United Private Hire Drivers’ Branch faces charges over use of a megaphone
In a case which could have chilling effects on the right to peaceful protest in the UK, the Chair of one of IWGB’s branches, UPHD, faces a criminal charge of ‘assaulting’ two police officers, allegedly having hurt their ears by using a megaphone at a protest.
IWGB’s Executive Committee (EC) has committed £15,000 to support legal costs for the case, following a unanimous vote of support in 2019.
IWGB is now calling on the public to donate to the crowdfund that has been set up in the last few days to find the remainder of the higher-than-expected legal costs. Please see further details of how to donate at:
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/defend-trade-unionists/
Further details of this shocking case can be found below, in a shortened/amended version of a motion of solidarity passed by the IWGB EC over the weekend.
IWGB wishes James all the best at court today and stands with him in the fight for justice!
Motion
IWGB stands in solidarity with James Farrar in his criminal trial for actions that took place while he was undertaking legitimate Trade Union activities. The IWGB Executive Committee (EC) backs James 100%.
We understand that this is a very difficult and personally distressing time for James Farrar and his family and wish to do all we can to support him. This union also notes that this is a case of critical importance for campaign groups, activists and unions across the UK.
In a unanimous motion of support from the EC, IWGB has already allocated £15,000 of central union funds to support the case at trial. A barrister has been retained to represent him, supported by a reputable firm of solicitors that were found by IWGB. IWGB officials and staff plan to attend court en masse in support of their union colleague and fellow activist.
The situation has arisen that the legal costs for this case were underestimated due to (i) a misunderstanding re the legal fees, (ii) the advice that a QC should be retained in addition to the current representation, and (iii) the fact that the case will run for longer than thought. James Farrar therefore stands in need of additional money to support the case at trial for the full four days. The total cost is estimated at around £21,000.*
Background
Whilst organising a UPHD-branch protest on 4 March 2019, UPHD-Branch Chair James Farrar used a megaphone to rally supporters and make statements on behalf of the protest, as is common at IWGB protest events.
Around this time, he made a formal complaint about police behaviour during the demonstration.
Several weeks later, he was himself accused of ‘assaulting’ two police officers by using the megaphone (it is alleged that the noise hurt the officers’ ears). James is now facing a criminal charge and may be imprisoned for up to a year if he loses the case.
The IWGB Executive Committee (EC) has previously passed a motion, with unanimous support, which gave James Farrar IWGB’s full support in fighting a case which has the effect of intimidating him and others in IWGB and the wider Trade Union/activist movement from making legitimate, peaceful protests. It is vital that we support his case as strongly as we are able, and that others do likewise.
* Since this motion was passed, it appears the this figure may be inaccurate and may, in fact, be higher. See the crowdfund page for further details.
In November 2019, UCL promised al Security Officers an improvements in the holiday entitlement. UCL said this would be implemented by 1 December 2019. This would include an increase in days of annual leave + paid closure days and bank holidays.
However, on January 6 the majority of Security Officers working at UCL reported the failure of Axis to pay their wages for closure days.
It has been admitted by Axis that management failed to notify their payroll department properly to make the payment, deducting thousand of pounds from ALL security officers at UCL. Yet another example of the incompetence of outsourced companies.
IWGB-UoL’S branch secretary has written to UCL to demand immediate payment:
To whom it may concern,
On 6 January 2020, a number of security officers working at UCL reported the failure of UCL’s subcontractor Axis to pay their wages as per the changes adopted on 1 December 2019 (payment of closure days for those not working and payment at double rate for those working during closure days).
The mentioned changes have not been reflected in the wages paid this month. This has been further confirmed in an email from Anna Knight where she states “we have experienced a syncing issue with the system which therefore may lead to pay queries tomorrow regarding your pay day 7th January 2020”.
Please note that this error made by Axis has resulted in the unlawful deduction of wages from all security officers employed by Axis on the UCL contract who have not received any pay for the closure, or double pay (if they worked), as per the letter of variation of their contracts received by security officers in mid-December.
This shows not only that the changes announced by UCL as per the harmonisation of terms and conditions have not been implemented, but it also constitutes further evidence of the utter incompetence of the security contractor at UCL. All this after weeks of silence from Axis, where they did not even bother to inform their workforce of how these changes would take effect, and avoided all questions raised regarding this until two weeks after the deadline for implementation of the changes. This is despite the numerous emails sent by our union requesting clarification and dialogue regarding the plans.
It is frankly astounding that UCL continue to tolerate the incompetence of this subcontractor and their unlawful practices. These repeated failures only make it clearer that the system of outsourcing at UCL results in incompetence and failure, harming those precariously employed under such contracts.
We urge UCL to take immediate action regarding this matter to ensure that all the Security Officers at UCL receive correct payment no later than 13 January 2020 by close of business.
Should Axis fail to pay these wages we will not hesitate to initiate legal proceedings to recover them.
Furthermore, we urge UCL to take seriously the demands made by the majority of the outsourced workforce to be brought in-house. We urge UCL to meet with the representatives of the IWGB union and to quickly implement an end to outsourcing to ensure further mistakes of this nature are avoided in future.
Please acknowledge receipt of this email.
Kind Regards,
Dr Jamie Woodcock
Independent Workers Union of Great Britain - Universities of London Branch 