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UPDATE - ALBERTO DURANGO SACKED! MOBILISE FOR 12 FEBUARY DEMO
Dear Brother/Sister,
At a so-called disciplinary hearing Lancaster Cleaning Services have
sacked UNITE shop-steward and leader of the Latin American Workers Association
Alberto Durango. The company took over the contract for the Union Bank of
Switzerland on Monday 1 February; they suspended him on the Tuesday and
sacked him on Thursday 4 February. This premeditated act is part of their
efforts to break the union at UBS.
Lancaster were hired by UBS to replace the company Mitie, despite this
banking giant making profits of $14,billion they hired a notorious anti-union
firm to ensure they pay even less to their cleaners. Ignoring the
protection afforded by TUPE, workers were told they are to have their wages cut via
a reduction in their hours! The workers lodged a grievance; in response
they have sacked Alberto their shop-steward.
Alberto as called to a ‘disciplinary hearing’ to ‘discuss that we cannot
continue to employ you’ – it was a kangaroo court. They refused to
recognise him as a UNITE shop-steward. The reasons they gave were that he had
worked for them before and he was sacked for ‘dishonesty’. Alberto
previously worked for Lancaster for over a decade, only when he became a union
activist did they target him. A series of allegations were thrown at Alberto,
they orchestrated his arrest by the Home Office based on false claims. He
was released without charge. Lancaster then sacked Alberto regardless
claiming he never worked for them under his true identity. After his
dismissal the company then admitted following a union appeal he had in fact worked
for them in his true identity after all!
Lancaster have ignored the ongoing Tribunal case against his previous
dismissal, they have ignored his rights under TUPE and are openly blacklisting
union activists. The Union Bank of Switzerland and Lancaster are
partners in crime. Many activists of the labour movement and organisations have
responded to the appeal for solidarity. Let’s step up the mobilisation for
the demonstration on 12 February, we are now protesting at the main UBS
site where Alberto was sacked. Make this a mass protest to start turning
the tide on the union busters.
Chris Ford
Branch Organiser
MASS DEMONSTRATION
Reinstate Alberto – Hands off Our Union
Friday 12 February 1:00 PM,
Outside UBS Capital, 100 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 2RH
Organisations:Latin American Workers Association; The Commune; La Comuna;
Colombia Solidarity Campaign; Permanent Revolution; National Shop Stewards’
Network; Labour Representation Committee, Brent Trades Union Council,
Rifondazione Comunista, Workers’ Liberty, International Federation of Iraqi
Refugees, Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq
Individuals: John McDonnell MP; Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary, Steve
Hedley RMT (LUL) Regional Organiser; Professor Gregor Gall, Research
Professor of Industrial Relations, University of Hertfordshire; Pete Firmin, LRC
Co-National Secretary; George Binette, Camden UNISON Branch Secretary
(pc); Derek Wall, General Election Candidate for Windsor/former Green Party
principal Speaker, Jerry Hicks, UNITE General Secretary Candidate, Vaughan
Thomas, RMT (LUL) Regional President,
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