SOAS raided this morning by Immigration Police

riku | 12.06.2009 09:26 | London

SOAS Cleaners this morning have been rounded up...

This morning at 8, SOAS University was raided by Immigration police who rounded up 9 of our cleaners and are threatening to deport them tonight.

We have fought hard with the cleaners to get them union representation and a decent wage (which we have now got). many of them have been working here for years, and have their whole lives here in london..

apprarently this has happened at UCL too, and i believe on the tube where active cleaners were pulled up in front of management and subsequently fired because their working documents were not up to scratch

please offer your support by emailing MPs, MEPs, SOAS Management, anyone you can think of....

thanks

riku

Additions

DEMONSTRATION & Petition for SOAS Cleaners Monday 15th June

13.06.2009 19:24

Stop the Deportation of SOAS University Cleaners!

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

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.

soass
Homepage: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89511288639

Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

More info?

12.06.2009 10:06

Please.

Onlookers

12.06.2009 10:21

Hopefully people tried to stop the Gestapo from doing their filthy work or was everybody standing idly by and looking on in shock-horror?

Whenever you see something like that happen: Make a fuss. Get yourself arrested if need be. Make it harder for them to do their filthy job.

This is shocking.

Anarcho

Been circulating

12.06.2009 10:30

This has been circulated to london anarchists where I hope we will plan support -- people are on the case.

London Anarchist

info when i get it

12.06.2009 11:04

we are having an emergency unison meeting today to discuss our response and share info...i will put up more info when i have it....

riku

SOAS response

12.06.2009 11:24

We were sent an internal email from management today stating that the raid was completed in a sympathetic manner and the University were legally obliged to comply with the search, the email does however state that the raids would have been distressing for staff!

Staff member

SOAS steps at 4:30

12.06.2009 14:31

meet at the SOAS steps at 4:30 to protest and plan what to do next.
Several of those detained are being put on the fasttrack system which can lead to deportation in under 72 hours so we must act fast if we wish to stop this.

SOASian

one being deported tonight

12.06.2009 15:53

One cleaner is being deported tonight at 10pm.....the others on Monday, they are being kept at OLD ST and Borough Police stations...

riku

Over 100 people show up on the steps of SAOS for a solidarity meeting

12.06.2009 18:09

Workers and students gathered outside SOAS for a solidarity meeting to discuss a response to the dawn raid by immigration pigs. Some of the detained workers are held at Communications House by Old Street Roundabout and a group of supporters have gone up there this afternoon to try and make contact with those detained. Other cleaners are being held at Borough Police Station.

Some more information:

Amongst the workers being detained is a women who is 6 months pregnant.

The cleaning manager of ISS at SOAS called the workers to a meeting during their shift at 7.30am. They were ambushed by immigration pigs and then forcefully detained,

What we can gather is that this operation has been orchestrated by ISS and the BIA -- they should be targetted for this act by any means neccesary.

Solidarity with the cleaners.

An Anarchist of London

ISS scum

13.06.2009 10:36

ISS are a total cowboy outfit and clearly SOAS are scummy for using them .. ISS used to employ cleaners on really shite money where i work but they got kicked out for providing a poor service no less cheaply than direct employment on national terms and conditions, as the cream of so much as profit .. the have a tactic of employing non english speakers and illegal workers as they can be controlled easier .. we need to stop people using these cheap labour companies and demand they employ local people directly on proper money and unionised

durruti

Not our fault

14.06.2009 06:52

it is interesting that no word has arisen as to why soas in chosing iss did not ensure that all iss employees were are legal cheap labour has little costs to soas and did someone tip soas off hence they cooperated with iss to save themselves from fines

SOASstaff

4.30pm support the occupation at SOAS

15.06.2009 12:15

http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/

Emergency Rally called for 4.30pm
Speakers to be confirmed.

All media welcome

SOAS steps

4.30pm.

Many staff will also be there.