SOAS immigration raid press release

Icon_article Star-blue1 Published: June 12, 2009 14:08 by sosa

Tagged as: cleaners deportation detention immigration living_wage migration repression soas social_struggles workers_struggles
Neighbourhoods: soas

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.

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

Additions

SOAS Steps at 4:30 today

Comment Published: June 12, 2009 14:36 by SOASian

a meet up has been called at the SOAS steps (russell square) at 4:30 to protest and plan further action.
Please circulate this ( I know its only an hour away but modern technology and all that...)

DEMONSTRATION & Petition for SOAS Cleaners Monday 15th June

Comment Published: June 13, 2009 19:57 by soass

DEMONSTRATION Monday 15th June at 8.30am on SOAS Steps. Please bring banners and other visual, audio aids.

Stop the Deportation of SOAS University Cleaners!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89511288639

'Stop Racist Deportations. Demonstrate on monday

Another Education is Possible

Recently SOAS cleaners, through fighting back and uniting with students and other workers from other backgrounds, were able to win improvements in conditions and the London Living Wage.

At 6.30am on Friday the 12th June, without any advance warning SOAS cleaning staff were called to an emergency ‘Staff Meeting’, were confined in a room and then confronted by a team of 40 immigration officers who had been hiding under staged seating.

9 cleaners were arrested and sent to detention centres and are under threat of immediate deportation.

The outsourced cleaning company ISS and the schools management were aware of this intended raid and helped facilitate the removal of the cleaners.

We denounce the actions of the school and demand that academic institutions should not be complicit in assisting the Government in implementing their racist immigration programme. We find this particularly disgraceful given SOAS’s attempt to shake the reputation leftover from its colonial past. SOAS cannot lecture other countries about oppression when it complies in programmes such as this.

We cannot allow employers and the Government to use the threat of deportation to intimidate workers and prevent them from fighting to improve pay and conditions.

We urge you to show solidarity with the cleaners, UNISON and SOAS SU. We need to:

* Protest against the deportation of migrant workers and their families.
* Bring all workers in house, to receive equal treatment to SOAS staff, and force the university to take full responsibility for them.
* Formally disassociate from agencies such as ISS, and condemn such practice as witnessed at SOAS.
* Support calls for an amnesty for all migrant workers.'