The rally outside SOAS
Students and staff at SOAS London University have been campaigning for over ten years to get fair treatment for the staff that work their, many of whose jobs have been contracted out to companies that have none of the ethical culture that universities have always expounded. Particularly at institutions like SOAS and the LSE professors teach courses against exploitation and for liberal values and justice, while in the buildings they work vital services are provided by poorly paid and badly treated staff, employed for the university by companies with no concern for their welfare.
Occupiers in the SOAS management offices take part in the rally outside
It has been a long fight as SOAS, but eventually the cleaners achieved a proper living wage and promises of better conditions of service though direct employment by the university, but in June catering staff employed there by EliorUK were told that the main building refectory was to close and workers there would be made redundant. Supporters of the SOAS Justice for Workers campaign occupied the management offices demanding proper consultations and demanding no cuts, no closures and no redundancies and that all workers at SOAS should have fair contracts offering equal sick pay, holiday pay, with zero-hours contracts being replaced and outsourced workers brought in-house.
Doors are locked at SOAS to stop the protesters entering
The rally outside the occupation took place on the same day as University of London Security Officers at neighbouring Senate House belonging to the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) were on strike demanding talks with the university and contracting firm Cordant over the restoration of pay differentials which have been reduced by over 25% since 2011.
As their day of picketing ended they came to join the SOAS campaigners, protesting briefly with them at SOAS before going on together to hold a noisy protest outside Senate House.
Drummers accompany the protest outside Senate House
SOAS J4W & IWGB Security Workers
London University Security officers
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