Outsourced workers at UCL are fighting for equality.

In 2019 after an IWGB campaign, UCL management gave outsourced cleaners, porters & security officers equal sick pay, holidays, parental leave and pensions to direct employees after we had worked for years under much inferior terms and conditions. Now we are fighting to end outsourcing for good and for full equality and fair pay.

Why should you support the campaign to end outsourcing at UCL?

For an end to precarity: Many cleaners and catering staff at UCL continue to be employed on zero hours contracts. Security officers had 6 months in succession last year where the subcontractor failed to pay us correctly. During the pandemic UCL's cleaning subcontractor Sodexo laid off a significant number of cleaning staff, and their security subcontractor Axis tried to make extensive cuts to hours for security staff until they were stopped by the IWGB. These sorts of problems have been consistent across every subcontractor UCL has used. The problem is outsourcing. Now is the time for UCL to bring us in-house and end precarity for outsourced staff.

For an end to discrimination: The vast majority of outsourced workers are black, Asian, Latin American or from another ethnic minority group. We make UCL run smoothly every day, yet we continue to be denied the employment rights that other UCL employees take for granted. We face frequent issues of bullying and abuse, for which there is rarely accountability because we are not seen as UCL's problem. Our employers keep trying to introduce invasive measures like biometric signing in, which no other UCL employee faces. This is a two-tier system. It must end.

For fair pay: Over a decade ago, before UCL outsourced this workforce, UCL security staff were paid over £15 per hour. This was a decent wage that allowed staff to have dignified lives outside of work. However, as a result of outsourcing, pay has declined over the years for all outsourced staff at UCL. Outsourced cleaners are on around £12/hr, security are mostly between £12-13/hr. Most in-house staff are paid much more than this. This is not only unequal, but also increasingly difficult for us as life gets harder at the moment. We are currently facing a cost of living crisis and it is harder and harder to get by and support our families. We demand to be brought in house with fair pay. Cleaners, porters and security must all get a dignified wage of at least £15 per hour.

Despite being one of the richest universities in the country, UCL continues to treat the mostly Black, Asian, Latin American and minority ethnic outsourced workforce as second class workers, denying us many of the basic employment rights that all other UCL employees take for granted. It is time for UCL to end outsourcing!

UCL's cleaners, porters and security staff are demanding UCL end outsourcing, pay workers fairly and recognise the IWGB union.

Sign the petition below to support the campaign & receive updates from the campaign.

Other ways you can support:

• Attending our Open Meeting on 12 May at 5pm at ...
• Come to our Campaign Fundraising Party on 21 May from 7pm at SOAS JCR Bar.
• Join our protest on 26 May at 5pm at Malet Place.
• Donate to the IWGB Universities fighting fund to support this campaign.