IWGB

furlough

Workers demand furlough after being compelled to work in non-essential buildings at UCL

News and Investigations / January 19, 2021

Although Sadiq Khan declared COVID-19 to be a ‘major incident’ in London, many workers are still being compelled to provide cleaning and security services in non-essential buildings across universities in London. The Universities of London branch of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are concerned of the health risks that are posed as …

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IWGB workers

Victory for University of London workers after years of protests

News and Investigations / November 11, 2020

Outsourced cleaners working at the University of London had been long embroiled in protests to secure better labour rights. Outsourced workers had been subjected to notoriously unwarrantable working conditions, such as lower pay and pensions, and were also more likely to experience bullying, discrimination, and illegal pay deductions. The IWGB launched a campaign in 2017 …

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COVID-19 UCL

The ‘high risk’ of working in UCL Halls of Residence during the spread of COVID-19

News and Investigations / July 4, 2020

Recently, UCL students received an email that condemned a case of ‘exceptionally poor behaviour’ in Schafer House, which resulted in some students facing potential disciplinary action. Students were allegedly throwing microwaves and televisions out of the window, and vandalising hallways and lifts. UCL has advised that all UK students return home immediately, if possible, due …

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UCU

UCL Has Lost The Goodwill of Its Staff

News and Investigations / November 26, 2020

The Cheese Grater in conversation with Josh Hollands The Cheese Grater Magazine has spoken with Josh Hollands, a UCL Teaching fellow in US History who is also a member of the UCU Executive Committee regarding the recent UCU strikes. Hollands relayed the four fights of the UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association) campaign, which are …

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outsourcing

Strikes to end outsourcing of UCL cleaners, porters, and security workers

News and Investigations / September 26, 2020

Despite being one of the wealthiest universities in the country, UCL implements some of the worst terms and conditions for its outsourced workforce and refuses to bring staff in house. As such, strikes have been conducted in protest of outsourcing workers. Currently most of UCL’s catering, cleaning, and security staff are not employed by the …

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Academics against outsourcing boycott Senate House

News and Investigations / April 4, 2019

Campaigners from the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) are stepping up efforts to end outsourcing at the University of London (UoL). They are calling for a boycott of events at Senate House, a huge money-maker for the institution. Last year, UoL made £43 million from residences, catering and conferences. Outsourced cleaners, security and other …

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UCL shifts blame for unpaid security staff

News and Investigations / September 26, 2020

Last November, UCL switched security contractors from CIS to Axis. The roster of security officers at UCL has changed little, but the messy transition has caused them huge problems. Holiday records were lost during the handover, impacting officers’ pay. Many have been consistently underpaid since November and some have lost out on huge sums. One …

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