Support UCL Cleaners fighting back against 100+ job cuts
UCU members will be aware that Sodexo, the contractors appointed by UCL to run cleaning operations on campus and at UCL Halls of Residence, is planning to cut more than 100 cleaning jobs.
This is despite Sodexo posting an underlying operating profit that is up +6.4%, and an estimated profit of 651m Euros for 2025. These are some of our lowest-paid staff, paid little over the National Minimum Wage.
Sodexo and UCL plan to substantially reduce the amount of cleaning performed. They expect this to be ‘compensated’ by staff and students doing more cleaning up after themselves! UCU and the other campus unions have challenged UCL to show that they have carried out proper risk assessments to show that staff and students will not become ill or injured as a result of this major cut in cleaning services. We believe this is a false economy which will damage UCL’s reputation.
Once again, our colleagues in support services have been let down by UCL management.
On 16 September, the cleaners union, the IWGB, announced that they had voted to go on strike for three days, from 29 September to 1 October. These dates coincide with the beginning of the new academic year when campus is at its busiest.
If this dispute is not settled promptly, then we can expect more strikes.
The UCU branch supports our cleaners. We also passed a motion at our AGM which you can read.
What you can do
We are encouraging colleagues to support the UCL Cleaners’ campaign by
- Joining their Protest on Saturday 20th September from 3-5pm, which starts at Ramsay Hall.
- Make a donation to their fighting fund.
- Send a letter to the UCL Provost asking him to stop the cuts.
