4 responses to “Stop the Deportation of SOAS University Cleaners!”

1. 

   Jason

   June 14, 2009 at 6:25 am

   This is absolutely disgusting. Not only is deportation and the threat of deportation barbaric- splitting up families, making people live in fear, contravening basic human rights sihc as freedom of movement, leading to very real fears for the safety of people- it is being used here as a weapon to attack the ability of workers to organise in a trade union.

   This case should become a cause celebre of protest and anger across the whole trade union movement. When employers and the state can target and terrorise a certain section of the workforce- in this case migrant workers- then is it is used to fragment, weaken and batter us all. All trade unionists who can should attend the demonstration and others should send messages of support from union branches, workplace groups and individuals. We should demand that unions across London take up the demands of the London wage, support the rights of all workers to be employed on contracts at trade union rates of pay and conditions against attempts to casualise work. The petition should be circulated across union branches, student union groups, antiracist campaigns and community organisations. All workers affected should have legal representation organised and paid for by the union.

   Finally if staff and students at SOAS and other campuses decide to walkout of classes, occupy the buildings and control the campuses in support of the SOAS workers we should lend them every support.

   Additionally, this will be a bit of a test for the lOndon left who are issuing calls to unite- will the SP, SWP, CPGB, AWL all of whom have either issued calls to unite or welcomed them be uniting in this? Let’s hope so.

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2. 

   Jason

   June 14, 2009 at 6:51 pm

   Petition here
   http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/28557.html
   Demo info below:

   Stop the Deportation of SOAS University Cleaners!

   Solidarity Demonstration 08:30 Monday 15th June 2009

   School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
   Thornhaugh Street
   Russell Square
   London
   WC1H 0XG

   On Friday 12th, SOAS University was raided by immigration officers & police, who rounded up several cleaners employed by ISS contractors amidst threats of immediate deportation. 9 persons (that we know of) were arrested under immigration powers and detained and subsequently served removal directions for Monday 15th June 2009.

   SOAS staff and students have condemned the raids.

   Please bring banners and other visual, audio aids.

   Phone: 079 5803 4181
   Email: freesoascleaners@gmail.com

   Below is a summary of the events. Please sign up and show your support.

   This group has been set up in solidarity with the 9 members of the cleaning staff at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) who have been detained and who face immediate deportation, following a morning raid on SOAS campus on the 12th June by the Immigration and Border police.
   http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89511288639

   At 6.30am on Friday the 12th June, ISS (the company who contracts the SOAS cleaning staff) called a meeting for all cleaners.

   Within minutes the meeting was raided by approximately 45-50 Immigration and Border police, who entered through the fire doors and the main entrance to the room and detained all the cleaning staff; the officers were in riot gear.

   Following the raid the cleaners were locked in the room. One by one the workers were led into another SOAS classroom, where their immigration status was checked. During this process the staff were allowed no representation and provided with no translator (many staff are native Spanish speakers). A trade union representative at the scene was refused access to the staff members.

   Nine cleaners, including five UNISON members, were taken into detention. One detained individual was six months pregnant, she is thought to have collapsed during the events.

   It is known that the contractor ISS had requested the police action. Two members of SOAS management were present during the raid, liaising with the police. This suggests that the school had prior knowledge of the raid.

   ISS have informed UNISON that those cleaners detained may be fast-tracked out of the country, thus they may be deported within 72 hours.

   Those detained have been working at SOAS for many years; they have settled in London. Deportation will be devastating not only for the individuals involved but also the families. They are also our friends and fellow colleagues in the SOAS community.

   It is not a coincidence that SOAS cleaners were one of the first university cleaners to fight for Union representation and a decent wage. The events on Friday appear to be aimed at sending a clear message to other agency workers in London not to fight for union representation, such levels of intimidation cannot be tolerated.

   We believe the heavy-handed treatment which the cleaners received was grossly over the top and ISS/SOAS are complicit in this.

   We believe that these appalling events are proof once again that SOAS cleaning staff need to be brought in-house and that companies like ISS which exploit and intimidate workers have no place at SOAS.

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3. 

   Liam

   June 14, 2009 at 9:46 pm

   Update on cleaners deported. 3 cleaners definitely deported already including 6 months pregnant Luzia.

   Here is New Labour at work. It creates a low wage economy which is utterly reliant on clandestine workers, deports just enough to intimidate the majority and collaborates with contractors to drive down earnings and smash the unions.

   And they ask themselves why the BNP is doing so well.

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4. 

   Jason

   June 15, 2009 at 5:45 am

   Exactly. It should be an absolutely key part of the left and trade union politics that an attack on one is an attack on all.The SOAS cleaners have been barbarically attacked with at least three already deported and up to another six in detention.

   This should be taken up across the union movement and left. It is not just about these workers but about the demand for unionisation, the demand for union rates of pay and contracts- having cleaners in-house for example on the London living wage.

   What is really needed s direct action in support of these workers- a walkout and occupation if possible or whatever can be pulled off this time and building the confidence of the workers and students at the campus to take forward the fight.

   Unionisation of migrant workers is also central to rebuilding the working class as one of the tactics to attack trade unions is to use insecure casual work that predatory empoyers use to attack the wages and conditions of us. An attack on one is an attack on all! Solidarity with today’s demo.

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