After a unanimous ‘yes’ vote in a postal ballot with a turnout of more than 60%, cleaners and maintenance staff at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) will be mounting a two-day strike on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 March. The workers, employed by the giant Danish-based multinational, ISS, and organised in the SOAS UNISON branch, are mainly migrants from Latin America. They secured the London Living Wage nearly five years ago, but are now fighting to win an occupational sick pay scheme, an increase in paid annual leave and a pension scheme comparable to that of directly employed staff at the college.
Picket lines will be in place from 4.00 AM to 4.00 PM on both days at the main SOAS Russell Square campus (Thornhaugh Street, WC1) and from 6.00 AM to 12 noon both days at the Vernon Square campus (just off King’s Cross Road). There will also be lunchtime rallies at the main Russell Square college site.
Please send messages of support to SOAS UNISON branch secretary, Sandy Nicoll, via email at an2@soas.ac.uk
UNISON has apparently called a further strike by the cleaners on the ISS contract at SOAS for Friday 21 March. A bucket collection at Camden UNISON’s recent AGM raised more than £180 for the workers’ hardship fund.