Goldsmiths' Cleaners Hardship Fund

Goldsmiths management have recently announced that they will be bringing cleaning staff in-house after a six month transition period. However under the current management of outsourcing company ISS, at least 20 workers have been unable to return to work for a month following a shift pattern restructure. This has left many with crippling financial losses. A number of these workers are now facing or have already faced dismissal.

The circumstances of this restructure were incredibly suspect. Staff members were made to apply for their jobs ahead of the restructure. The application process consisted of a written exam on their cleaning competencies and an English language test. A number of workers lost their jobs on the basis that their English language skills were not good enough.

We need urgently to financially support these workers and other workers during this six month transition period while we campaign to have them reinstated ahead of the inhousing process and to pursue these cases of discrimination.  

Goldsmiths Justice for Cleaners Campaign is a group of staff and students at Goldsmiths College University of London supporting the industrial actions of cleaning staff on campus. Monies from this hardship fund will be allocated directly to cleaners who have been financially hit by the restructure imposed by outsourcing company ISS. Primarily the fund will supplement the salaries lost by those workers who have been unable to return to work since the restructure for whatever reason. We will then distribute any remaining money to those workers who have been able to continue working under the restructure with less working hours than before. We are working closely with cleaners, particularly those who have lost their jobs since the restructure. Together we are building a campaign to have workers reinstated ahead of the inhousing processes so that they can enjoy all the benefits of being part of the Goldsmiths professional community. 

The money from this fund will be withdrawn by Justice for Cleaners member Roberto Mozzachiodi and transferred to individual cleaners.