Protests and strikes by security and cleaning staff demanding to be brought in-house have been a crucial part of my two years at the University: the practice of outsourcing has been the nexus of these frustrations.
Outsourcing is when institutions hire staff through external subcontractors. Currently, outsourced staff at UCL are scattered across multiple agencies: Sodexo for cleaning, Bidvest Noonan for security, and CH&CO for catering.
This practice has long been criticised by labour rights activists as being exploitative, and trade union representatives at UCL in particular have argued it creates a “two-tier system” wherein outsourced workers are face far more precarity than their directly employed counterparts.
Throughout my time at this publication, I’ve interviewed union organisers and members at length about these issues. Every time, I’ve heard the same theme come up: that outsourced staff are consistently mistreated by management at these agencies.
Recently, Sodexo cleaning staff members went on strike in the face of job cuts and impossible workloads.
In 2024, I reported on security staff being the target of intimidation by Bidvest Noonan management after attempting to show solidarity with pro-Palestine protesters on campus.
Since these workers are not directly employed by UCL, there is rarely any accountability on the University’s part for this mistreatment. Staff are overworked and frustrated and angry, and honestly, we should be a lot less comfortable with this than we are.
Not only would the University cease to function without these staff members, but this structure is also emblematic of a broader issue: the fact that a private institution operates within UCL in such a manner.
From the perspective of a Cheese Grater journalist, it makes it nearly impossible to hold the University accountable in any meaningful sense. Approaching spokespersons at UCL for a statement on protests and workers’ disputes can be frustrating — there’s a lot they can’t comment on because labour disputes are not technically within their remit. Go to Sodexo. Go to Bidvest Noonan. Go to CH&Co (subtext: this isn’t our responsibility).
Outsourcing is a massive labour rights issue — but it’s so much more than that. It has concerning implications for the culture of transparency and accountability across UCL.
Sadly, I do understand why people struggle to get involved in protest and strike action. The UK in 2025 is hardly a shining example of political freedom, and it’s an especially precarious time to be politically engaged when you’re on a temporary visa, as most of UCL’s international students are.
But at the very least, do not allow yourself to become apathetic. Go to an IWGB talk (they’re the trade union representing most of the outsourced workers on campus, and they do a lot of cool stuff). Read the flyers you see everywhere, ask questions, talk to your friends about the cleaners’ strike.
Pay close attention to the exploitative practices baked into the structure of the university we all spend an ungodly amount of money to study at.
You can read more about IWGB’s campaign to end outsourcing at UCL on their website.
