Support the cleaners at Societe General - this Thursday, 5pm, Tower Hill...

See below for a report from the Industrial Workers of Great Britain

IWGB called a protest in solidarity with our members employed as cleaners at Societe Generale by the contractor Initial Facilities on 29 August. Following an assurance by Societe Generale, eventually confirmed by Initial Facilities that their planned cuts were suspended we cancelled the protest and suspended our campaign.

A meeting with Initial Facilities management has been finally arranged. However, Initial Facilities management have since informed our members that the cuts will be going ahead in a few weeks, some cleaners were told to look at alternatives to working at Societe Generale.

Furthermore, despite Initial Facilities previously stating that the London Living Wage of £8.30 per-hour will be introduced from 3rd September 2012, repeated requests by the IWGB for assurances this will still be the case have been completely ignored. Confirming our view that the pay rise is conditional on an over 50% cut in hours, amounting to a wage cut.

Our union is appalled at the ongoing treatment of one of our young members who has been sacked by Initial Facilities in the most questionable of circumstances. We are demanding his immediate reinstatement. Having considered this situation the IWGB can not see justification to continue the suspension of the campaign in the UK and other countries until we achieve a settlement of this dispute satisfactory to our members at Societe Generale. We apologise to all those who heard at short notice of the cancellation of the previous protest, but we urge all our members and the wider labour movement to support the protest on Thursday 6th September at 5:00 pm at Societe Generale London office in Tower Hill.

London Living Wage and Sick Pay Campaign Updates

Protests were held on September 14 and October 3 to press the University on the immediate implementation of the LLW and sick pay.

The University has changed its position for the third time by starting a phased introduction of the London Living Wage this October. For example, cleaning staff will move from £6.15 to £6.68 this month and Senate house porters from £6.90 to £7.50. Senate House UNISON has been a key part of the campaign, and has been involved in negotiations with the University, and is delighted to see these low-paid workers realising the first tangible rewards for their efforts. However the campaign is not won yet, and Senate House UNISON continues to call on the University to recognise that at the moment they are still paying workers a poverty wage, and have done nothing to resolve the sick pay issue.

There will be another protest on Tuesday 18 October from 12h30 to 14h30 in front of International Hall (Lansdowne Terrace, in front of Coram’s Fields near Russell Square tube stop). It would be great if any branch members who could were able to attend.

Recognition Agreement

On October 5 Unison signed a recognition agreement with Balfour Beatty Workplace. Balfour Beatty Workplace was not legally required to recognise our union however they did so voluntarily.

This is a massive achievement, and means that all BBW workers (like University of London workers) will now be consulted over major workplace issues, and have a regular forum to discuss any problems.

They can also elect workplace representatives, who will have the opportunity to get training and get more involved in the union, all during working hours.

A lot of people worked very hard to secure this agreement, which sets a real example for other University contractors, and we also appreciate the co-operation of BBW in resolving this.

London Living Wage Campaign - Demonstration Monday 3 October at 12 noon.

The Senate House London Living Wage and Sick Pay campaign will be holding a demonstration in the Russell Square car park at 12 noon on Monday 3 October to call on the University of London to implement the LLW and sick pay.

The last demonstration was a great success, and the University has already moved its position on the issue, but workers cannot understand why the LLW (set by Boris Johnson as the minimum to live on in London) cannot be paid now, in full.

It has been paid at SOAS since 2008, and is now paid in most Bloomsbury Colleges. Workers have already campaigned for a year at Senate House, and cannot understand why they are being asked to wait another year to be brought up to this minimum standard.

Senate House UNISON supports the demonstration, and urges all members to attend and support their low-paid colleagues.

Update on Senate House London Living Wage and Sick Pay Campaign

Many apologies - I meant to post a recap of developments in the London Living Wage campaign at Senate House, and have just not got round to it. So here goes.

The demonstration on September 14 was a great success, attended by around a hundred staff, workers and students (particularly impressive outside term time), and addressed by MPs John McDonnell and Frank Dobson (as well, of course, as our local branch chair Tony Mabbott).

Many thanks to all the University of London staff who gave up their lunchtimes to attend - this was much appreciated by all the directly affected workers concerned.

The University of London chose to close access to the cloisters from the Russell Square car-park, but I'm sure the prospective students arriving for their open day gained a pretty clear idea of some of the issues likely to be affecting their University careers.

The University also sent senior management to address organisers, as well as producing a leaflet affirming their commitment to payment of the LLW.

Unfortunately, their current position still sems to be that the LLW will be introduced by July 2012. There is no timetable for this, no guarantee that jobs and hours-worked will be protected, no explanation of how wage differentials will be maintained, no acceptance of the year-on-year LLW ladder, no mention of the cost of providing sick-pay, and no figures.

Despite frequent requests by the Senate House UNISON branch, and promises on behalf of the University, no costings have been provided as evidence for claims that it would be impossible for the University to introduce the LLW now.

Unfortunately, our members (cleaners, porters, postroom workers, caterers, security guards) earning below the £8.30 per hour which has been agreed independently as being the mimimum wage to live in London have lost faith in unsubstantiated promises and delays. We have been asking for the LLW for over a year now, and are now being told it cannot be paid for another year (despite neighbouring institutions now moving into their third year of LLW compliance).

The Senate House London Living Wage and Sick Pay campaign will therefore be holding its next demonstration, to coincide with Freshers week, welcome new students to Bloomsbury, and introduce them to some of the realities of student life, on Monday October 3 outside Senate House. The Senate House Branch of UNISON will be supporting this demonstration, and it would be great to have as many members there in support of our fellow workers.

STATEMENT FROM SENATE HOUSE UNISON BRANCH ON UNOFFICIAL STRIKE ACTION

If any workers employed either directly by the University or any of its contractors, decide to take unlawful strike action, then we as a Branch cannot condone the action, as it will not have been called in accordance with industrial action legislation.

We do, however, fully sympathise with the immense frustration many staff feel after months of unresolved problems over pay, which have placed a number of workers in serious financial hardship. We would also not be surprised if the fact that employees do not receive the London Living Wage has played a large part in the decision of individuals to resort to such action - many staff employed at the University of London are paid only three quarters of the going rate for the same job at neighbouring institutions.

We support the continued struggle of such employees to be paid a London living wage, in full and on time for the work that they do.

We are pleased by the decision of BBW not to take disciplinary action against those participating and will continue to work with BBW to resolve any outstanding individual and collective disputes as a matter of urgency.

UNISON Senate House Branch

Senate House London Living Wage Campaign - Mass Rally a Great Success

More details will follow soon, including more photos, but I just wanted to briefly report back on the rally last Saturday, which was a fantastic success. We filled the lecture theatre at SOAS not just with representatives from across the Bloomsbury unions, student groups and NGOs, but with workers from across the University of London, many of whom spoke of their own experiences of working in their current low-waged environments.

It was great for everyone to come together and see how many people were in the same position, and how much support there was for the campiagn both inside and outside the University of London. The event was trilingual, with translations to and from Spanish and Polish, and it was great that the opportunity was taken to publicise further UNISON's new programme of English lessons for contract workers.

Frank Dobson MP spoke, and pledged to support in any way he could the campaign to pay the London Living Wage at Senate House.

To show your support please do visit and sign our online petition now at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/senatehousellw/

Senate House London Living Wage Campaign

Stop Press: The meeting will be addressed by local MP and supporter Frank Dobson.

This Saturday 9 July UNISON Senate House are organising a launch for the campaign for the London Living Wage for outsourced University of London employees.

We're hoping for a big turnout from the workers themselves, many of whom are now members of the branch, and it would be great if other University of London employees could come down to help and show their support.

The event starts at 11am at SOAS - we're in room G2, but if you just come to the main entrance we can show you where to go.

Any questions, just let me know - danny.millum@sas.ac.uk or 07783 719479.