SOAS Students occupy directorate in protest at deportations of cleaning staff

Raw video from the office of SOAS director as students argue with him to use his influence to secure the release of cleaning staff kidnapped by immigration police on Friday morning.
Press Release:




Ken Loach, director of the film Looking For Eric, stated:

"This raid is the action of a bully. Migrant workers are amongst the most vulnerable - poorly paid and far from home. Recent action by Unison to secure better wages and conditions at SOAS was good news. Now we wonder if the SOAS cleaners are being targeted because they dared to organise as trade unionists. We should all stand with them in solidarity in the face of this victimisation."

Full, updated press release below - please circulate far and wide.

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Without any advance warning from their ISS bosses nor the university management, SOAS cleaning staff were confronted by a hefty team of immigration officers at 6.30am this morning (Friday 12 June). Fearful cleaners were detained on SOAS premises as the officers demanded to see their papers. Some were taken into rooms of the university to be interviewed. A shocked witness said that someone had to intervene when a heavily-pregnant cleaner was being manhandled by immigration officers. Nine cleaners were taken away by Immigration Officers.

SOAS staff and students, many who had been at a protest at the sacking of another cleaner and UNISON Branch Chair, Jose Stalin Bermudez, were shocked and outraged by the raid and fear that the cleaners may be deported very soon.

There has been widespread support amongst lecturers, staff and students for the successful campaign for the living wage and union recognition led by mainly migrant cleaners.

Graham Dyer, SOAS UCU Branch Chair said: It is no co-incindence that there is an immigration raid at a time when the UCU ,Unison and the NUS are fighting against the victimisation of a migrant worker who has been at the heart of a fight that has improved the pay and conditions of workers here at SOAS. It is also not coincindental that ISS had only just signed a union recognition agreement with UNISON last week Our fight has united lecturers, staff and students and has rocked SOAS management. Those managers are now lashing out. It is a disgrace that SOAS management saw fit to use a seat of learning to intimidate migrant workers. This is their underhand revenge and we will do all we can to stop migrant workers paying the price.




The living wage campaign has had the support of John McDonnell MP , who said:

As living wage campaigns are building in strength, we are increasingly seeing the use of immigration statuses to attack workers fighting against poverty wages and break trade union organising. The message is that they are happy to employ migrant labour on poverty wages, but if you complain they will send you back home.

It is absolutely shameful.

Ken Loach, director of the film Looking For Eric, stated:

This raid is the action of a bully. Migrant workers are amongst the most vulnerable - poorly paid and far from home. Recent action by Unison to secure better wages and conditions at SOAS was good news. Now we wonder if the SOAS cleaners are being targeted because they dared to organise as trade unionists. We should all stand with them in solidarity in the face of this victimisation.

Press Enquiries to Dr. Graham Dyer : gd1@soas.ac.uk 07940 539 027

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• justice
• occupation
• student
• cleaners
• racist
• deportation
• union
• London
• Living
• Wage
• UNITE
• UNISON
• UCU
• UAF
• anti-racism

[glennmac88]

If you must talk about age and status, the main speaker is in her mid-30's and previously ran her own business.

As for "having nothing better to do", what on this planet is better then defending the rights and liberty of those who are most vulnrable? Maybe they should all be slogging there guts out at a crap job instead, that would be SO much more constructive then acting against injustice.

[sultan121]

This man has at least 30 years on all of you learn some dam respect. Although he is causing the demise of soas, academically :-)

[Djunfitforwork]

@ourhandsaretied I'm all for the actions -maybe from more of a "broad left" perspective than you wish to be considered. In fact -I am inspired by the "grass roots" more than wheeling out the "usual suspects". So shoot me.

[ourhandsaretied]

@Djunfitforwork

Reflecting negatively on the working class political movements as you are by your use of the word 'clone', you are almost as dangerous as the people we are all arguing against

[academysounds]

'I WANTS' are the lowest form of consciousness. No illegal immigrants should have been employed in the first place. Everyone should comply with immigration controls. The general people of this nation have had enough of the immigration.

[Djunfitforwork]

Great action once again -I'm no Marxist "Clone" -but what S.O.A.S is doing is highly principled and brave -in stark contrast to the "management". Good luck with the latest occupation also

[Frederm]

What was the outcome of the sit in ?

[yasminx16]

i bloody well love SOAS- I go to kings, but I'm always around there.

[Robin303]

@glennmac88 It dose seem that those students cared more for the poor of other countries than the indigenous poor & destitute of the United Kingdom.

[MetaCraken]

@phillysteakwrap really? I'm thinking of going! I'd like to know what's so bad about it!

[MetaCraken]

'we want you to reinstate Stalin'...vaguely funny