Report from January and February 2009 Organising Meetings

Call for Bringing Contracted Services Back In-House

At our meeting on 13th January, campaign members discussed a proposal that the "in-house" option be adopted as a central demand of our campaign. This was already Unison’s position and it was felt that many of our supporters already agree with the in-house approach.  It was agreed amongst the campaign members present that bringing cleaning and catering staff back into direct employment with Birkbeck is the best way to achieve the goals of the living wage campaign and that our future materials and slogans should reflect this position.

Campaign Plans for Spring 2009

At meetings in January and February we talked about how to further strengthen our campaign to win the London Living Wage at Birkbeck and also to help develop a more coordinated campaign within the Bloomsbury colleges.

Some of our plans/aims for the Spring term are as follows:

• A joint meeting and/or protest with activists from the other Bloomsbury colleges.
• An activity such as a mass leafletting outside the next Governors meeting on Wednesday 18th March.
• To meet with the College Secretary regarding implementation of the London Living Wage.
• Developing our relationships with Living Wage supporters in Birkbeck departments, to plan some activities like video showings in classes or class raps, or raise the issue in department meetings.
• To do some research and develop a new campaign leaflet or fact sheet.
• Possible film showing on Martin Luther King’s involvement in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike.