Sunday November 16, 5.30pm at the Pullens Centre, 184 Crampton Street, Elephant and Castle London SE17 3AE, with:

Julio Mayor, Prospect – Amey @ National Physical Laboratory

Robinson Baldeon, Unison – Ocean/ISS @ University of London (SOAS)

Alberto Durango, Unite-T&G – Lancaster @ Schroders Bank

Rodrigo Nunes – Campaign Against Immigration Controls

Three months ago five Colombian cleaners working for Amey Plc at the
National Physical Laboratory were suspended for daring to criticise Amey
for putting an excessive workload onto ever fewer staff, for
unilaterally changing terms and conditions and for disrespecting
grievance procedures. The five have since been sacked.

When Amey took over the contract in December 2006 it found itself faced
with a largely Latin American migrant workforce that was organised and
conscious of its rights. They had recently unionised and were taking
steps to gain recognition – a right afforded to all other staff at the
NPL.

In order to enforce a serious increase in workload and downgrade in
conditions, Amey tricked the cleaners into attending a fake training
session, only for the doors to be bolted and 7 of the workers to be
taken away by the police. Of these, three were deported – one to
Colombia and two to Brazil. All lost their jobs.

The case of Amey Plc seems to be typical of the working condidtions
many migrant workers face in the UK and the profit companies
make from their precarious situation. In our talk we will hear from workers
involved in those struggles and activists supporting them what their
experiences are to organise and what the perspectives of such self
organised struggles could be.

(Tea, Coffee and Refreshments will be available; and translation to English)

http://caic.org.uk
latin_americanworkers@hotmail.com

See also
interview: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412669.html
solidarity at appeals hearings report: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412552.html

A public talk and discussion organised by London NoBorders, Campaign
against Immigration Controls, Latin American Workers Association, Coordinadora
Latinoamericana (Bolivia Solidarity Campaign & others)