International Day of Dignity for Cleaners and Security staff #JusticeDay2017

Picture this evening from outside the front entrance of the British Trade Union Congress (TUC) headquarters in London of members of the SERTUC (South East Regional TUC) International Committee.

Today (June 15) is the International Day of Dignity for Cleaners and Security Staff. We were wearing yellow marigold glove on one hand to show solidarity with cleaners and holding keys with the other for security guards.

hat tip thingy to our top SERTUC International Committee Chair, Bob Archer (4th from left)

Justice for Cleaners: Further strike action Friday 21 March

Branch email sent out today "Members are encouraged to show solidarity with UNISON members by visiting the picket line from 7.00 am Friday (21 March). The branch has made a donation of £100 and a collection made at the branch AGM will be delivered to the picket line tomorrow.

SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

UNISON cleaners and maintenance staff at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London (SOAS) are taking strike action in a long-running dispute over terms and conditions.

The 50-plus workers, who are employed by ISS Facility Services, receive only statutory sick pay and the statutory minimum annual leave, yet colleagues who are employed directly by SOAS receive contractual sick pay, 30 days annual leave and a defined benefits pension scheme.

UNISON balloted its members for industrial action following a series of negotiations and meetings, which ended with ISS refusing to make an offer to improve terms and conditions.

Members returned a 100% vote in favour of strike action. The ISS staff have received strong support from their colleagues working for SOAS and from the students, who understand how important their work is.

UNISON regional organiser Ruth Levin said: "We know that our campaign against the two-tier workforce created by ISS is growing in strength and support.

SOAS as an institution claims to deal with pressing issues such as democracy, human rights and poverty. Yet here we have a situation where it is failing to deal with a pressing issue that is sitting on its doorstep. UNISON is calling on ISS to get back around the table, with no strings attached, to resolve this dispute".

Justice for Stalin

Ignoring the obvious joke that it is the SWP who are demanding justice for Stalin, I’m not sure what to make of this report since it’s only on the SWP web site so far.

However, any real activist involved with the real non-SWP front “Justice for Cleaners” (which is led by London Citizens and Unite) deserves our support if they are being genuinely victimised. Check out the original post here and ask for further details but bear in mind the very dubious source.

Demand justice for Jose Stalin

The Unison union at the School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas) in central London is demanding its members are balloted for strikes over the suspension of branch chair Jose Stalin.
Jose has been a leading figure in the Justice for Cleaners campaign at the university, which has won the London Living Wage

Sandy Nicoll, Soas Unison branch secretary, said, “We view this as a form of victimisation and are asking the national union to ballot us for action.”

Jose told Socialist Worker, “Over the last two years our campaign has won better pay for cleaners, and now management has suspended me.”Email messages of support to an2@soas.ac.uk