News

UNISON members employed as cleaners at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) are mounting a long running dispute to secure the same terms and conditions as other staff working at the University. They were outsourced to ISS and under the terms of their contracts they receive statutory sick pay instead of the occupational sick pay offered to SOAS employees. They also receive only minimum annual leave entitlement and do not have access to the university pension scheme.

This is yet another example of good public sector jobs being moved out to the private sector, leaving workers on the lowest wages being expected to pay for the savings to a budget.

"We are striking in the name of equal treatment, dignity and respect," said Consuelo Moreno Yusti, one of the striking workers. "We are going on strike because it is inhumane to be forced to work when we are ill.

"We deserve to receive sick pay. We are striking because we condemn being treated differently. We condemn being outsourced workers in a university that promotes human rights and equal opportunities while ignoring and discriminating against us."

UNISON Greater Londonhead of higher education Ruth Levin adde: "These members have campaigned long and hard for some basic improvements to their terms and conditions.

"No one should be unable to pay their basic bills because they fall sick. We hope that their employer, ISS, will now take this seriously and make a decent offer to settle this dispute.

"We are also calling on SOAS to intervene, if necessary, to improve the working lives for those cleaning the SOAS buildings."

A video of the third period of strike action can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgXQlGSjF_Y&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/soas-cleaners-strike-3