A large crowd of students and staff gathered outside Birkbeck on Wednesday December 3rd to campaign for improved pay and conditions for privatised cleaners and caterers, who are currently earning £5.73 an hour – described by campaigners as “a poverty wage”.

Supporters including MP John McDonnell and film director Ken Loach are calling on Birkbeck to introduce the London Living Wage of £7.45 an hour and to provide all workers with basic benefits including sick pay.

Speakers at the rally included Clara Osagiede from the RMT tube cleaners, lecturers Esther Leslie, Michelle Everson and Helen Reece and representatives from London Citizens, Unison, and UCU.

To find out more or to join the email campaign go to www.bbk.ac.uk/unison/local/living.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 8th, 2008 at 17:09 and is filed under News, Sidebar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.