More news is emerging of just how dehumanising and brutal have been the effects of the immigration raids at SOAS organised by external contractor ISS shortly after the cleaners won union recognition and pay rises to the level of the London living wage.

One of the UNISON members picked up, who was traumatised by the clandestine nature of the raid and the appearance of around 40 officers in full body armour, arrived back in Bogota, 48 hours after the raid, wearing the same clothes she was arrested in and with 75pence in her pocket. Others were deported or are detained at Yarl’s Wood.

Full story: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/433893.html

To mark the New Year, please view and circulate this short video story of the inspiring ongoing struggle of the 5 Colombian cleaners sacked by Amey PLC at the National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, London) for having distributed a leaflet criticising the company. The video can be watched on YouTube: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7W4-RBhKc and more information can be found on the Campaign against Immigration Controls website: http://caic.org.uk/amey

This is a perfect example of the practice of companies like Amey and organisations like NPL who bring them in to cut costs. These companies are responsible for attempting to lower wages through casualisation. More solidarity action is needed to support workers who are brave enough to stand up to these attacks and so help protect the wages of all.
Continue reading Colombian cleaners fight continues after sacking by Amey, contractor at National Physical Laboratory →