Protest to Reinstate Victimised Cleaner: Alberto Durango – Justice for Cleaners Campaigner
Sacked cleaner Alberto Durango
23/12/11: City of London Corporation Cleaners say “OCCUPY GUILDHALL!”
Friday 23rd December, 6am onwards
The Guildhall
London EC2V 7HH
Cleaners staging sit in at Corporation of London’s Guildhall over abuse of women!
Cleaners are staging a sit-in at the Corporation of London’s Guildhall in protest at the inadequate response of their employer, the contractor Sodexo over the abusive treatment of women employees.
Occupy London protest with Old Bailey Cleaners
On Thursday 24th November at 4:30pm, there will be loud and colourful demonstration at the historic Old Bailey, supported by the IWW and Occupy London. The people who clean the offices of the law firm, McGrigors, at the Old Bailey, are protesting against the illegal practices, bullying and the union-busting treatment they have received by Apollo Cleaning Services.
Apollo Cleaning Services was awarded the cleaning contract on 3rd October. Since then, they have bullied and harassed a pregnant cleaner – whom they told pregnancy was ‘irrelevant’ to her conditions of work. When she complained about the new disregard for health and safety practices her concerns were ignored.
International Day of Action for London Guildhall Cleaners Demanding a Living Wage
Dominican Republic workers urge Sodexo to rehire wrongfully fired workers
On Monday 7th November at 10am, the cleaners of the prestigious London Guildhall will be holding a noisy and lively protest against their direct employers, Sodexo, and also the City of London Corporation, who control the cleaning contract. Their demands are: dignity and respect at work from management, the reinstatement of victimised union rep Wilmer Cardenas and to receive the London Living Wage which is currently set at £8.30.
There will be other solidarity demonstrations taking place by other cleaners, workers and students in France, Colombia, USA and around the globe protesting about workers’ rights abuses by Sodexo in solidarity with the US based “Kick out Sodexo” campaign. This protest will be the third demonstration staged by Guildhall cleaners this year, whom have been unionised by the IWW, following a period in July where several migrant cleaners had not received weeks of pay and the contracting company Ocean failed to resolve it in a timely manner until successive organised protest demonstrations were held.
Video: Imagining a world without borders
This is a simply brilliant talk by Bridget Anderson as part of the Migrants’ Rights Network TEDxEastEnd event.
Today at 12:30: London South Bank University Cleaners Demonstrating for a Living Wage
From the UNISON website and other Unison sources:
Today is World Day for Decent Work and there is a demonstration at 12:30-1:30 in front of Technopark building, London South Bank University, London Road SE1 6LN (nearest tube Elephant and Castle) as the cleaners are campaigning for the London Living Wage.
“We, the cleaners at London South Bank University are employed by Interserve. We work to keep the university’s buildings and premises clean and free from hazards for all students, staff and visitors. Our contribution is undervalued by Interserve and by London South Bank University. We are in precarious employment, paid only £5.93 p/h (£6.08 p/h from 1 October) and we do not get paid when we are sick and unable to come to work.
World Day for Decent Work is a global occasion for trade unionists to mobilise and show solidarity with poorly paid workers. It is a day when trade unions all over the world stand up for decent work and conditions. We demand that all workers be paid a decent wage – a living wage that will help us live and not just exist.
“We won’t suffer in silence!” – Guildhall Cleaners’ Protest for a Living Wage
Guildhall Cleaners and Protestors
The Cleaners of Guildhall, many of whom are members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), are holding a rally and demonstration at the Guildhall this Friday at 9am. They are demanding respect at work and calling on the Corporation of London and its cleaning subcontractor to ensure they receive the London Living Wage which is currently set at £8.30.
In recent months, The Guildhall has shown “the power of London’s ruling elite”, is being used to discriminate and bully some of the lowest paid workers in the City. In July, non-English speaking cleaners at protested at The Guildhall with their English speaking co-workers and subsequently won back their pay for unpaid work. This included having their Annual Leave cut due to time off for the Royal Wedding!
Guildhall Cleaners are demonstrating for dignity at work this Thursday at 2pm
Demonstrate with the IWW Cleaners for the right for respect at work, this Thursday 25th at The Guildhall, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HH at 2pm
Imagine a place where managers can:
- Threaten you with violence
- Lock you up for two hours
- Give your job to one of their family
- Always forget black workers for promotion
- Constantly screw up your wages
- Send you to clean the toilets if you complain
- Deny workers basic union representation
- Sack you if you join a union
Cleaners at the City of London who work for Ocean Contract Cleaning have faced these problems and more. As IWW members they have raised complaint after complaint about bullying, management nepotism and abuse. Our union has been reasonable, professional and constructive. But again and again Ocean has said they will deal with the problems, again and again they say they are ‘investigating’. It seems that Ocean is waiting until a TUPE transfer in September to wash their hands of what they have done. IWW say enough is enough—cleaners demand respect at work now— not tomorrow! Read more
Heron Tower Cleaners Fight for the Living Wage
UPDATE – This event has been cancelled due to a victory
Activists supporting cleaners against victimisation and bullying by managers
A statement has just been released by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW):
IWW – Major Gains at Heron Tower Dispute
Guildhall Cleaners’ Strike Victory!
Report on strike and picket by cleaners at Guildhall (City of London) in protest at late and unpaid salaries going back months.
On Friday 15th July we met at 5:30am at Guildhall. Many people went to give solidarity, and the cleaners, who work for the subcontractor Ocean Contract Cleaning, shouted slogans such as “No pay, no work”. They painted their hands with the word stop and with their hands up shouting “Stop the Abuse.”
The police approached us and told us we could not protest in an undercover area immediately facing the reception, but we could do so outside in front of the art gallery because it was a public space. Solidarity came from cleaners from other sites, Colombian solidarity campaign, UCL and SOAS workers and students, Unison, and representatives from other IWW branches. The local priest offered coffee and use of the church toilet to the strikers and their supporters.
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