News Page - IWGB

Royal College of Art cleaners say abuse and sexual harassment allegations ignored for years

Outsourced migrant cleaners at the Royal College of Art have launched a public campaign after years of alleged abuse and sexual harassment by a supervisor Cleaners say formal complaints to both RCA and its subcontractor, from at least 16 people since 2023, have been ignored, leaving them still wo...

IWGB Private Hire Drivers Statement on TfL's 'Goodwill' Payment for License Delays

If Transport for London believes its announcement of a £500 “Goodwill” payment will be met with anything other than contempt by the drivers whose lives were torn apart by TfL’s prolonged incompetence, it is profoundly mistaken.Two facts must be made absolutely clear. First, £500 does not begin to...

Over 200 Rockstar staff write to management in support of unfairly fired union members

220 letters signed by staff members at Rockstar, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, were delivered to management at the company last week, demanding that the 31 employees fired are immediately reinstated The employees, all of whom were members of the IWGB Union, believe they were fire...

IWGB Issues Legal Claims Against Rockstar Over Unfair Dismissal of Staff

The IWGB has issued claims against Rockstar Games for unfairly dismissing staff for union activity and blacklisting its members. This legal claim comes shortly after the announcement of the delay of Grand Theft Auto VI, which is expected to break records in sales upon its scheduled release in Nov...

IWGB Statement: Protest Postponed as Members Secure Meeting with TfL Boss Andy Lord

Following a series of successful protests, the IWGB Private Hire Drivers Branch has secured a meeting with Transport for London’s most senior official - Andy Lord. As a result, the demonstration we planned for 5 November will be postponed until after we have met with Mr. Lord next week to discuss...

Staff at Grand Theft Auto VI developer Rockstar fired en masse in “calculated attack on workers”

Rockstar Games, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, has fired over 30 of its staff for trade union activity, in what the union officials describe as ‘the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry.’ All of those dismissed at Rockstar UK were mem...

E5 Bakehouse workers win landmark union recognition

Monday 13 October: Workers at E5 Bakehouse have won a landmark union recognition agreement with their employer - the first of its kind at one of London’s independent artisan bakeries.E5 Bakehouse runs an acclaimed sourdough bakery, café, and baking school with sites in Hackney, Poplar, and at the...

IWGB Statement: Calling for the Immediate Release of Gaza Flotilla Activists

The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli government for the unlawful detention of the peaceful humanitarian mission near Gaza.Our union represents and is led by some of the most precarious and low-paid workers in the UK, with members fro...

Cleaners vote for first ever strike at Ernst & Young in the face of job cuts

Cleaners at Ernst & Young have voted to strike for the first time at the company with a 98% YES vote after being told that 37% of cleaning jobs at the company would be at risk. Staff, who are spread across EY offices at London Bridge and Canary Wharf and are subcontracted by Mitie, will take ...

TfL faces potential legal action over ‘serious and systemic failures’ leaving thousands of drivers out of work

The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB), the union which represents private hire drivers on apps like Uber and Bolt, is exploring an ‘unprecedented’ legal challenge against TfL for leaving thousands of drivers unable to work for up to months on end Severe delays in issuing minicab license...

Declaración de la IWGB contra la proscripción de Palestine Action y la escalada de violencia imperial en Irán

La IWGB se solidariza inequívocamente con Palestine Action y condena enérgicamente la propuesta del Gobierno británico de prohibir el grupo como organización «terrorista». Este uso indebido de la legislación antiterrorista contra un movimiento de protesta no violento es un ataque al derecho a la ...

IWGB Statement against the proscription of Palestine Action and the escalation of imperial violence in Iran

The IWGB stands in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine Action and strongly condemns the British government’s proposal to ban the group as a “terrorist” organisation. This misuse of terror legislation against a non-violent protest movement is an attack on the right to protest, a dangerous crimin...

IWGB statement on Supreme Court ruling on legal definition of a woman

We condemn the ruling made by the Supreme Court to consider a person's gender as something that is strictly defined at birth.Transgender people are an integral part of the community that we're building, and this ruling stands as a clear attack on the protections offered to trans people through th...

App drivers to disrupt Heathrow on 1 May in global strike over pay and conditions

Passengers arriving at Heathrow on 1 May could be at risk of travel chaos as drivers for apps including Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee pledge to refuse trips and block airport collections to demand better pay and conditions The action is part of a coordinated global strike which will see drivers in t...

TfL’s Short-Term Licenses: A win for the drivers but still more to fight for

Tuesday 8 April 2025: The IWGB Union was called into an emergency meeting with TfL this morning. As many of you will now be aware after an email from TfL, at this meeting it was announced that TfL will issue 3-month “short-term licences” to drivers who have submitted a complete renewal applicatio...

Join the drivers log-off: Friday 14th February

Drivers working for apps like Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee are at a breaking point. Poverty pay, high car rents, brutally long hours to try and ends meet and the threat of unfair deactivation hanging over our heads are having a devastating financial, physical and mental impact on us and our familie...

Falkirk foster carers confront council over cuts to their holiday

Friday 31 January: Foster carers in Falkirk are set to meet with local councillors today to raise ongoing concerns over insufficient financial support and cuts to their holiday allowance.The meeting, organised by the IWGB Foster Care Workers Union, comes years after the majority of Falkirk carers...

Northumberland foster carers to rally to demand respect and fair pay

Foster carers will gather outside Northumberland Council’s offices on Wednesday to raise concerns about the future of the local care system after the departure of high numbers of experienced carers Following a ten year fee freeze, Northumberland foster carers’ pay has fallen against inflation, an...

IWGB in Italy: Standing with GKN Workers for Jobs, Justice, and Climate

When IWGB representatives joined a delegation to Italy to support the GKN workers, it was a powerful opportunity to stand in solidarity. They travelled alongside trade union activists from the UK and across Europe, all gathering in Florence to support GKN workers. This was a solidarity trip that ...

Game workers union unveil manifesto to transform sector after unprecedented mass layoffs

The IWGB Game Workers Union, which now represents over 1,500 workers in the UK, has published its first manifesto, setting out ambitions to end unpaid overtime, improve job security and raise baseline pay The call for change comes after at least 900 UK game workers lost their jobs last year in ma...

Workers at Royal Mail subsidiary eCourier vote to strike with 94% yes vote

Couriers working at the last mile delivery service eCourier have voted to strike with a 94% yes vote and 84.75% turnout. eCourier, owned by Royal Mail, provides delivery and medical couriering services for a range of clients, including HCA, the NHS, RBS and many others. Workers are demanding work...

Workers at Royal Mail subsidiary ballot to strike over illegal employment misclassification, pay and bullying

Workers at last mile delivery company eCourier have launched their “Respeito e Dignidade” (Respect & Dignity) campaign, demanding worker status, dignified pay, a fairer workplace and an end to bullying and harassment from management, and are balloting for strike action eCourier, a subsidiary ...

Addison Lee drivers protest deteriorating pay and conditions with mass log off

Addison Lee drivers downed tools and logged off their apps on Monday 16th of September to protest ongoing declines in their pay and conditions Drivers report having to work 70 hour weeks to make ends meet, leading to sleep deprivation, sciatica, and serious impacts on their mental health Addison ...

IWGB Statement on Far Right Violence

The IWGB condemns in the strongest possible terms the wave of far-right, fascist viole-nce that has swept across the UK in recent days.This violence is driven by hatred, racism and Islamophobia. The notion that it has arisen from “legitimate concerns” around immigration is not only wrong and offe...

IWGB statement on the partnership between GMB Union and UberEats riders

UberEats couriers are some of the most exploited workers in society, with constantly falling pay, unsafe conditions, and a lack of basic workers rights. As all trade unionists are aware, the only way to properly challenge this mistreatment of workers is by organising and building industrial stren...

IWGB statement on the sale of Addison Lee

As many of you will have seen, Addison Lee has been put up for sale by its owners led by Cheyne Capital and Liam Griffin. This can understandably cause anxiety and worry amongst drivers given previous changes in ownership, however, we would like to explain what this means for you as drivers at Ad...

"Our hearts go out to those affected at Sumo Digital by the recently announced redundancies."

We have a lot of experience responding to redundancies, if you need help please reach out.Despite the games industry having a record high profit of £200bn globally in 2023, executives chose to make over 10,000 workers redundant. Halfway through 2024, 10,800 more workers worldwide were made redund...

Joint Statement on the End of the RSA Dispute

Members of the IWGB working for the RSA have voted to accept an improved offer. This has ended the dispute between the RSA and the IWGB. The RSA and IWGB will work constructively and collaboratively together going forward in the interests of improving industrial relations and in support of the ch...

IWGB Union opens doors to tabletop game workers

The IWGB voted unanimously on 28 March 2024 to welcome tabletop and board game workers into the Game Workers branch of the IWGB union. This move establishes the first union in the UK for workers in the tabletop and board game industry and follows on from the formation of the United Paizo Workers ...

IWGB stands with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers

The IWGB is a union founded on the struggles of migrant workers. Our commitment as a union is to a world where all workers, regardless of ethnicity or immigration status can live a life of dignity, respect and safety. In our union we have built a resilient community in the face of oppression and ...

Statement on the Home Office scapegoating undocumented riders

Henry Chango Lopez, General Secretary of the IWGB, said:“Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat have built their businesses through the blood and sweat of couriers. They have made millions ruthlessly exploiting both British and migrant workers with below minimum wage pay. Meanwhile the Government has ...

Parcelforce delivery drivers launch group lawsuit against Royal Mail

Parcelforce delivery drivers belonging to the IWGB union are taking Royal Mail to court, arguing they have been wrongly denied basic rights like holiday pay and the national minimum wage Law firm Leigh Day, which is bringing forward the case, says it believes there are thousands of drivers who ha...

Workers at debt charity vote to strike following “aggressive intimidation” from management

Frontline workers at the debt advice charity Rooted Finance have voted 100% in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay, conditions and trade union recognition Union members, represented by the IWGB, will be going on strike on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 March, with demands including pay parity...

Game workers forced back to office oppose “reckless decision” from Rockstar

Rockstar Games announced on 28th February 2024, that workers will have to be in the office 5 days a week from 15th April 2024 as remote working provisions are withdrawn for the majority of staff. The news comes one year after 170 Rockstar Games workers in the UK signed a petition opposing mandato...

Royal Society of Arts Boycott sees major speakers drop out of events

The staff union at the Royal Society of Arts are set to call a public boycott of the organisation today as an escalation of their ongoing pay dispute Figures such as Yanis Varoufakis, Chris Packham, and Deborah Frances-White have all pulled out of RSA hosted events in support of staff Trade union...

Statement on the Supreme Court's ruling on Deliveroo riders' bargaining rights

The Supreme Court’s ruling comes as a disappointment after years spent fighting a legal battle to secure riders’ bare minimum employment rights. As a union we cannot accept that thousands of riders should be working without key protections like the right to collective bargaining, and we will cont...

IWGB and RSA Union's statements on illegal dismissal of Ruth Hannan

We hope that this verdict at the tribunal serves as a sharp wake up call to change their ways and that this behaviour is not repeated again.

Royal Society of Arts found guilty of breaking employment law for first time in 270 years

The ruling was given by Employment Judge Codd at the Central London Employment Tribunal on 12 October 2023.Speaking to The Observer in an article published on 9 October 2022, Hannan accused the RSA of being “hypocritical” and “not living [its] values” under the leadership of CEO Andy Haldane. She...

IWGB Statement in Solidarity with the People of Palestine

As trade unionists, we believe that international solidarity is a key part of our movement. The IWGB has a proud history of standing on the side of the exploited and oppressed. Over the past 75 years Palestinians have faced a brutal settler colonial occupation that has been described by internati...

Solidaridad con palestina

Nosotros, como Secretario General y Presidente del Sindicato IWGB (Independent Workers Union of Great Britain), enviamos nuestra solidaridad a lxs trabajadorxs que participan en la Huelga General Palestina.Como sindicalistas, creemos que la solidaridad internacional es una parte clave de nuestro ...

RSA staff vote overwhelmingly for first ever strike in the organisation’s history

Staff at the RSA, represented by the IWGB are set to make history with the first strike since the charity was founded 270 years ago The result of the vote was 93.33% in favour of strike action, with 78.95% of union members turning out Strike days include the 21st September, which will see the RSA...

Foster Care Workers' Union statement on Scotland's new national allowances

Allowances are being raised across Scotland as a direct result of struggling foster carers’ tireless campaigning. By getting organised and forming a union, these workers have managed to show that positive change is possible despite the government’s best efforts to silence them every step of the w...

Striking frontline workers from UCL and St Mungos stage joint protest in City of London against governing bodies

Workers at St Mungo’s on indefinite strike over pay have joined UCL security guards fighting “racist” fire-and-rehire for a joint day of action in the City of London St Mungo’s workers represented by Unite the Union and security guards represented by IWGB will protest the workplaces of UCL Counci...

Security Guards launch bus protest against UCL fire-and-rehire scheme

Outsourced UCL Security Guards rode a bus around Central London today to protest at the workplaces of UCL Council members Under the new proposals, 256 workers - belonging to a 99% black and brown workforce - will be forced to reapply for jobs with lower salaries or face redundancies The fire-and-...

Cycling instructors set for first ever strike after 14 year pay freeze

Cycling instructors in London are going on strike on Friday 30 June for the first time ever, after 14 years of frozen pay, amounting to a 50% real terms pay cut. Members of the IWGB’s Cycling Instructors Branch voted 89% in favour of industrial action, with a 95% turnout. In March, TfL announced ...

UCL Security Guards protest at Open Day after redundancies and pay cuts announced during cost of living crisis

UCL’s security staff are holding protests at the university Open Day on Friday and Saturday against “racist” plans for 40 redundancies and drastically reduced contractual hours. The fire-and-rehire tactics employed by UCL have already drawn strong criticism from a number of MPs, and were raised i...

UCL to sack 40 security guards and fire-and-rehire remaining 216, prompting strike action

UCL’s subcontractor Bidvest Noonan has informed outsourced security staff at the university that 40 of the 256 total staff will be made redundant by September. Remaining security staff will have to reapply for their jobs, and will face “reduced conditions” in their contracts. The redundancies com...

Falkirk Foster Carers Demand Emergency Support to Survive Cost of Living Crisis

A petition signed by over 60 foster carers in Falkirk demands an emergency increase in fees and allowances to improve conditions for fostered children Foster carers’ allowances have been frozen for the last nine years, and their fees have taken a 15% real terms cut since 2019 Over half of carers ...

Deliveroo challenged by IWGB in the Supreme Court over riders’ collective bargaining rights

IWGB Union is challenging Deliveroo in the Supreme Court over the company’s refusal to recognise couriers’ right to collective bargaining, including the right to negotiate over pay. The hearing, which takes place on Tuesday 25 April and 26 April, is the most recent appeal in a long line of challe...

Vodafone’s outsourced migrant cleaners storm Oxford Street store to demand sick pay and a liveable wage

On Saturday 4 March, outsourced cleaners at Vodafone HQ descended on the tech giant’s flagship Oxford Street store to protest against victimisation and poverty pay Since last year the majority migrant workforce have been campaigning for London Living Wage + £1/hr, proper sick pay, and an end to o...

Vigil marks two years since driver Gabriel Bringye was stabbed to death while bosses at Bolt still refuse the family’s call for change

2 years after the murder of Bolt driver Gabriel Bringye, family and colleagues will gather at the site of his death to demand improved safety measures for drivers. Since his fatal stabbing while working for Bolt, the company has refused requests by his family to meet with them and their trade uni...

Outsourced UCL security staff to strike alongside UCU as part of 1 February national day of action

Outsourced security guards at UCL, represented by the IWGB, are back on strike on 1 February, demanding an end to outsourcing, £15/hr pay and union recognition. They will be joined by striking lecturers from UCU, taking part in the national day of strike action which includes teachers, rail worke...

New survey reveals the hidden cost of living in the gig economy this Christmas

Platform workers report pay cuts of up to 50% at a time when 8 in 10 are being forced to cut back on household food and energy spending. New survey of over 260 workers for platforms like Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon reveals triple-impact of the crisis on workers in the gig economy. Most respondents...

Emergency support measures demanded by North Yorkshire foster carers forced into poverty by cuts and cost of living crisis

The petition, signed by over 120 North Yorkshire foster carers, demands an emergency increase in fees and allowances and free school meals for fostered children. 85% of local foster care workers report that their allowances do not cover the costs of fostering, undermining their ability to provide...

Staff at the RSA win statutory union recognition represented by the IWGB as ballot returns 85% majority

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have announced that a recent ballot, run independently by the Central Arbitration Committee returned a 85% majority of voters in support of recognition from the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) for the first time in the organisation’s 268 year hist...

Cleaners Win End to Exploitative Outsourcing at Prestigious Private Hospital

After launching a campaign earlier this year, outsourced workers from the IWGB union have won an end to outsourcing at private London Bridge Hospital. Workers are still paid less than the London Living Wage and are denied the same conditions as other workers. Parent company HCA received millions ...

UCL breaks commitment to equal terms and a living wage for all, bringing in agency workers to undermine the ongoing strike by IWGB workers

Bidvest Noonan announced days before the strike that its 200 UCL security staff were being stripped of all overtime, which amounts to a third of some workers’ incomes. All overtime shifts will now go to the Systematic Security agency which is known to pay as little as £10/hour, below the London L...

Hundreds of workers paid half what they were 20 years ago, to strike at UCL for equal rights and an end to poverty pay

UCL security guards employed via Bidvest Noonan will go on strike 14-16 November, demanding £15/hour, an end to outsourcing and union recognition. Outsourced security earn almost half what directly employed security guards were paid 22 years ago prior to outsourcing, adjusting for inflation. Some...

RSA employees push for historic trade union recognition agreement with IWGB Union

Staff at the Royal Society of Arts from the IWGB union are pushing for statutory trade union recognition for the first time in the society’s 270-year history. The IWGB currently represents approximately 50% of RSA employees as part of its Charity Workers Branch. The RSA has a history of supportin...

IWGB launches worker status claim against ride-hailing app Bolt

Thursday 6 October: The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has today launched a claim on the behalf of one driver for backdated holiday pay on the basis that the claimant was unlawfully misclassified as an independent contractor. Like those working at Uber, the IWGB argues that Bo...

Glasgow foster carers protest to demand emergency measures from council to tackle cost of living crisis

Tuesday 27 September: Glasgow foster care workers from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) will demonstrate in George Square tomorrow at midday, demanding emergency measures from the council to tackle the cost of living crisis. The majority of foster carers across Glasgow are f...

Security staff at University College London to strike over pay as part of campaign against outsourcing

Outsourced security staff at UCL from the IWGB union have voted unanimously to take strike action over pay and union recognition, part of a broader campaign to end exploitative outsourcing. Staff are demanding £15/hr, the same wage paid for their roles before outsourcing began 20 years ago, and u...

IWGB Union takes Deliveroo to Supreme Court over bargaining rights months after company signs union partnership

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is challenging Deliveroo’s denial of collective bargaining rights in the Supreme Court, months after the gig-economy giant signed a so-called ‘partnership’ deal with the GMB union. A victory for the IWGB would mean that delivery couriers work...

Private hire drivers oppose “discriminatory” English Language Test policy from Transport for London

London based private hire drivers are speaking out against policy changes that see drivers required to pass two English Language Tests before receiving their Public Carriage Office (PCO) licence. From 1 October 2021 the English Language Requirement was changed, forcing drivers to complete two £36...

Statement by Cleaners, Porters, Post-Room and Security staff at LSHTM following the senior management’s false and misleading statement on 21 July 2022

We are appalled by the statement published yesterday (21/07/2022) by LSHTM senior management - a tissue of lies which has clearly been drafted in an attempt to smear us and our union, the IWGB, and to try to delegitimise our campaign against discrimination, low pay and victimisation at this unive...

TfL slash climate-friendly cycling training funding to zero as London swelters in record-breaking heat

Londoners set to lose access to cycle training as Transport For London announce they will end funding immediately As the UK experiences unprecedented extreme temperatures, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and TfL are cutting back on green alternatives that could contribute to combating climate change and ...

Over 120 academics pen open letter to LSHTM demanding an end to 'second class' treatment of outsourced workers

These allegations of second class treatment follow on from an independent review commissioned by LSHTM which found the university to be structurally racist. The academics request that LSHTM management engage in negotiations with outsourced workers, who are due to be insourced in August, and have ...

Yoga teachers launch campaign to shine light on endemic sexual harassment in yoga industry

The Yoga Teachers Union, IWGB are launching their first national campaign, fighting to protect yoga teachers from sexual harassment, ensure their safety and dignity at work and demand action from the nation’s yoga governing bodies and membership organisations to protect the workers essential to b...

Overworked Migrant Cleaners at Vodafone Launch Campaign Over Pay and Sick Pay

Thursday 7 July: At the peak of the cost of living crisis, outsourced migrant cleaners from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) working at Vodafone HQ launch a campaign for fair pay and proper sick pay, following years of chronic overwork and victimisation. Several cleaners hav...

Outsourced workers at LSHTM set to strike over pay following escalating union victimisation

Outsourced cleaners, porters and security staff at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have voted unanimously to strike over poverty pay, amidst the cost of living crisis. Workers from the IWGB union launched a campaign in April after LSHTM committed to bring this majority-migrant ...

Outsourced Cleaners Demonstrate Outside US Private Healthcare Giant Over Poverty Pay and Sick Pay

Outsourced cleaners working for HCA private hospitals set to protest outside HCA headquarters on Thursday at 3pm over poverty pay and lack of proper sick pay. Amidst the cost of living crisis, workers are paid well below the London living wage while temporary agency workers brought in to tackle u...

Dalston couriers and community groups protest over-policing following immigration raids

Food delivery couriers working in Dalston set to protest outside Hackney Town Hall today at 6:15PM over excessive policing of BAME and migrant couriers at Ashwin Street, following recent immigration raids in the area. On Saturday 14 May, hundreds of people in Dalston protested the targeting of mi...

Outsourced workers protest at University of London in fight for dignified pay and end to exploitative outsourcing

Over 100 outsourced cleaners and security staff at University College London (UCL) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) set to protest on Thursday at 5PM to demand dignified pay and an end to exploitative outsourcing at UCL. Outsourced cleaners and security staff at UCL who ...

Deliveroo riders question CEO at company’s first AGM days after GMB partnership stunt

Deliveroo couriers from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) will attend the food delivery giant’s first AGM today to question the board on poverty pay, dangerous working conditions, and unfair dismissals. Deliveroo announced a partnership with GMB on Thursday 12 May that has be...

Statement on the recent police raids targeted at couriers in Dalston

The IWGB condemns the actions and behaviour of the Met Police during the Ashwin Street raid on Saturday evening. After targeting couriers for immigration checks under the pretence of checking insurance documents, video footage shows police officers indiscriminately attacking members of the public...

IWGB Couriers statement on Deliveroo's partnership agreement with GMB

The IWGB has been organising Deliveroo couriers since 2016. From supporting strikes against the pay cuts in 2016 to organising international protests on Deliveroo's IPO in 2021, for years, IWGB couriers have been leading the fight back against Deliveroo’s poverty pay and abysmal working condition...

Hundreds of UCL cleaners and security launch campaign to be brought in house after subcontractor neglect during COVID

Hundreds of outsourced cleaners, porters and security officers working at UCL are demanding to be brought in house as part of IWGB’s campaign to end outsourcing and zero hours contracts and for fair pay. Outsourced workers want equal terms and conditions to directly employed staff, fair pay and a...

Couriers Boycott Dalston Wingstop over Lack of Safe Waiting Areas as Dalston Parking Campaign Escalates

Couriers set to boycott Dalston Wingstop Restaurant today 6-9pm after being denied safe, sheltered waiting areas and access to toilets. This majority-BAME workforce are forced to wait for orders outside on neighbouring Ashwin Street, where they face order delays, parking fines and police harassme...

Four workers at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suspended after peacefully protesting pay discrimination

Four outsourced workers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) were suspended on Friday 22 April after participating in a peaceful protest over the prestigious University’s discriminatory pay structure the previous day. The majority-BAME outsourced workers are due to be bro...

Migrant workers paid below LSHTM's minimum pay grade protest to end discriminatory pay

Migrant workers paid below the University’s lowest pay grade at prestigious London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) are protesting today at 5PM to demand dignified pay amidst the cost of living crisis. Cleaners, porters, post-room and security staff are currently outsourced but aft...

Glasgow foster carers “betrayed” as unelected officers undemocratically refuse Council’s pay proposals

Glasgow foster carers are calling the Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP) deeply undemocratic after unelected council officers have refused to implement the council’s recommendation of 10% increase to the foster carer child allowances in February’s budget amidst the cost of living crisis....

Longest gig-economy strike hits day 100 as Stuart Delivery boss admits to pay cuts in meeting

JustEat couriers part of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have been on strike for 100 days after subcontractor Stuart Delivery cut the base rate of pay by 24% in early December last year. During recent talks between management and union representatives, Stuart’s UK General M...

Striking JustEat couriers demonstrate outside Greggs HQ over pay cuts

Striking JustEat couriers to demonstrate outside JustEat client Greggs’s Newcastle HQ on Thursday 24 March at 13:00 over pay cuts. Despite Greggs’ commitment “to work with partners to change the world for the better”, JustEat couriers, who are forced to pay fuel and vehicle costs out of their own...

Campaigners join London cycling instructors in call to scrap devastating 100% cuts to cycle training

Cycling campaigners, local businesses, and a councillor join cycling instructors and cyclists across London in call to axe devastating 100% city-wide cuts to in-person cycle training proposed in a recent TfL meeting. In an open letter to Sadiq Khan and others, cycling instructors say cuts will ha...

Striking private hire drivers protest central Government and TfL over poverty pay, safety, and unfair dismissals

Striking private hire drivers to protest outside Houses of Parliament today at 10am over poverty pay, poor driver safety, and unfair dismissals. Echoing draft legislation from the European Commission, drivers are demanding that the UK government and licensing authorities crack down on poor pay an...

Statement following the verdict on murder of Bolt driver Gabriel Bringye

Today, over a year since Gabriel Bringye was tragically killed, his assailants have been found guilty of manslaughter. This has been a very difficult time for Gabriel’s family, his fiancé, and for the whole community who will continue to feel his loss every day.Although the trial has now come to ...

Lxs limpiadorxs migrantes en el London Bridge Hospital denuncian violaciones a las normas de seguridad del Covid

Durante la pandemia, a lxs trabajadorxs migrantes les fue negado acceso a EPPs, vacunas y vestuarios, además de haber sido forzadxs a limpiar salas dedicadas a enfermxs con Covid sin recibir la formación adecuada ni protocolos de contaminación cruzada. Durante la pandemia, HCA Healthcare generó $...

Migrant cleaners protest poverty pay, bullying and Covid violations outside private London Bridge Hospital

On Friday 4 March at 4pm, outsourced cleaners will demonstrate outside the private London Bridge Hospital over poverty pay, harassment, and covid violations. Cleaners have been instructed to clean covid wards without adequate training, vaccinations, uniforms, changing rooms, and in some cases, wi...

IWGB launches campaign for driver safety on anniversary of Gabriel Bringye’s murder

IWGB launches driver safety campaign on the anniversary of the death of Gabriel Bringye, a private hire driver who was murdered while working for Bolt. The anniversary will be marked today with a vigil and rally at 6pm on Jarrow Road, Tottenham. Workplace assaults and abuse are commonplace, but p...

Migrant cleaners at London Bridge Hospital whistleblow on Covid safety violations

Migrant cleaners at London Bridge Hospital whistleblow on Covid safety violations and launch campaign against HCA Healthcare which pocketed NHS millions in the pandemic. Throughout the pandemic cleaners have been denied PPE, vaccinations, changing rooms, and forced to clean Covid wards without pr...

Glasgow foster carers demonstrate outside Town Hall as IWGB reveals Council spends 2.4x more on privatised foster care

Foster carers will demonstrate in George Square on Friday after SNP Leader of the Council Susan Aitken cancelled their meeting to discuss the devastating 10-year freeze on carers’ child allowances. Glasgow spends nearly half of its foster care budget on privatised foster care agencies that make u...

Longest gig-economy strike escalates as Sheffield couriers blockade McDonald’s

On Sunday 30 January, the longest gig-economy strike entered a new stage in Sheffield as couriers working for fast-food giant JustEat blockaded the Archer Road McDonald’s. Strike action began on 6 December 2021 after subcontractor Stuart Delivery, a DPD Group firm part of the publicly-owned La Po...

Dalston delivery drivers protest Hackney Mayor over lack of safe waiting areas

Dalston couriers supported by Diane Abbott to protest at 4pm on Thursday outside Hackney Council after being denied a safe and suitable area to wait for orders whilst they work. App couriers who are often victims of street harassment, are forced to wait outside with no toilets or facilities in al...

UK's longest gig economy pay strike resumes in Sheffield this week after Stuart’s secret pay talks exposed

Resuming the UK’s longest ever gig-economy pay strike, industrial action continues from today in Sheffield with pickets outside local McDonalds. Couriers launched the strike in December after Stuart, which delivers for JustEat, slashed its base pay per delivery by 24% to just £3.40. After working...

Worker protections urgently needed to combat Covid-19

The Covid-19 situation is rapidly getting worse in the UK. As the Omicron variant spreads and we face a new wave, the government and employers are, yet again, failing to keep workers safe. This is despite 150,000 deaths. The only way forward is to make sure every worker’s rights, health and safet...

Longest continuous gig-economy strike spreads as IWGB reveals Stuart cut key worker pay 25% but gave CEO a 1000% pay rise

The UK’s longest continuous gig-economy strike over pay has now spread to nearby Chesterfield while in Sheffield, six McDonalds branches are being picketed daily by striking workers. Couriers are striking over a 24.4% pay cut enforced as Stuart’s top director was paid £2,232,453, a 1000% pay rise...

“Glasgow City Council is failing our most vulnerable children.” Foster care workers demand action over devastating 20% cut in Child Allowance

IWGB reveals Glasgow foster child allowances have been frozen for almost 10 years which equates to a 23.12% cut over a period foster care worker pay has also fallen 30%. As Glasgow City Council deliberates over its 2022 budget, foster care workers are calling for investment to end the crisis in f...

Lockwood workers take action against unlawful redundancy

Dozens of workers at Lockwood Publishing are taking collective action to defend themselves against an unlawful massive redundancy, and help build a better workplace for them and their colleagues.After weeks of negotiations, meetings, and attempting to work with the upper management and all of the...

Sheffield JustEat couriers set to strike protest against “shocking” pay cut

Food delivery couriers working for Stuart to rally outside Sheffield Town Hall at 12 noon on 28 November in advance of an upcoming strike over 25% pay cuts. In a u-turn on promises to postpone the cut following protest by couriers from the IWGB, Stuart, which delivers for JustEat, is now slashing...

IWGB Solidarity Squad Welcomes Allies to the Fight for Precarious and Frontline Workers

The IWGB is known for direct action, grassroots worker leadership and strategic litigation against corporate giants like Uber and Deliveroo. Solidarity Squad members will support the union’s work through worker-led campaigns and a monthly donation to help fund the fight for our frontline. 17 Nove...

“There isn’t a driver shortage. There’s a pay shortage,” say Uber Drivers

Private hire drivers working for Uber are only able to accept 1 in 5 rides offered by the app to cover costs and earn a decent living, following years of plummeting pay. Despite Uber’s loss in the Supreme Court that ruled that drivers were entitled to holiday pay and minimum wage, cuts to pay per...

Striking food delivery couriers facing £130 fines while working rally at Hackney Town Hall to demand free and safe parking

On 10 Wednesday November at 2:30pm, striking couriers backed by Diane Abbott are staging a motorcade after being forced to move to a carpark far from the restaurant with no toilets, no shelter and that would result in pay cuts for couriers. From 2:30pm, workers for UberEats and Deliveroo will ref...

Cycling instructors stage protest cycle-ride after 50% TfL cuts leave thousands of school children without safe cycle training

On Friday 29 October at 2:30pm, cycling instructors are staging a protest cycle-ride from Trafalgar Square to City Hall to highlight tumbling pay and conditions as well as a sudden 50% Transport for London cut to school cycling training provision for the school year ahead. Funding cuts have resul...

Hammer blow for dodgy dealers in the gig economy with Stuart Delivery defeated in Court of Appeal as IWGB mounts group claim for workers’ rights

Court of Appeal confirms claimant was a worker and it was unlawful to deny him basic rights like holiday pay and the National Minimum Wage. The ruling may have wide reaching implications for over 150 more Stuart couriers who are claimants on another case being brought by the IWGB and law firm Lei...

IWGB takes Uber to court over racist facial recognition as Black Lives Matter UK backs the drivers’ strike and boycott on Wednesday 6 October

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is taking Uber to court for discrimination over its use of a racist facial recognition algorithm that is five times more likely to cause the termination of darker skinned workers. Facial recognition failure is just one of the reasons hundreds...

IWGB Launches ‘School of Organising’ to Support New Grassroots Leaders

On 5th October The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) launches its new ‘School of Organising’ training to empower workers to become workplace organisers and leaders. Round 1 of the school will train 40 people from the IWGB’s membership of precarious and migrant workers. The 6-week...

Key worker couriers protest Ocado over appalling treatment and poverty pay

IWGB couriers to protest at 1pm on Thursday 30 September at the Ocado Zoom depot in Acton over poverty pay and poor treatment. These key workers spoke out over subminimum wage pay cuts and are now being forced to accept even worse conditions or lose their jobs. Their campaign is supported by Blac...

9 in 10 couriers harassed at work, with BAME workers hardest hit - IWGB survey

100 couriers responded to the IWGB’s work safety survey, with two thirds saying they have been physically assaulted while working. 6 in 10 BAME couriers report weekly verbal abuse and physical violence at least once a month. Since going on strike in April, IWGB Deliveroo riders have been demandin...

Food delivery couriers boycott Dalston McDonald’s over parking

On 17th September at 5PM, food delivery couriers are rejecting all orders from Kingsland High Street McDonald’s after being declined the use of McDonald's Abbot Street car park. Hackney Council are forcing workers from their current location to a new area further away with no shelter or toilet fa...

IWGB launches #ShameOnOcado campaign as BAME key worker jobs threatened after whistleblowing on outsourcing and poverty pay

Majority BAME workforce who served as key workers through the pandemic, now ignored and threatened by the prospect of job losses after whistleblowing over £5/hr poverty pay and 70% pay cuts. The majority of Ocado Zoom workers have now voted to take strike action, with the IWGB promising an escala...

IWGB protest today at Uber HQ after 200 drivers & couriers unfairly sacked

IWGB’s United Private Hire Drivers Branch (UPHD) and Couriers and Logistics Branch (CLB) to protest outside Uber’s London HQ on Monday 26 July. In the last year over 200 drivers and couriers have come to the IWGB for support after being dismissed unfairly by Uber, Deliveroo, Bolt, Stuart, Free No...

Colombia Solidarity Statement

Colombia is on a trail of death; for too long, no generation has lived to know peace. At the beginning of May 2021, Colombians came out to protest an unfair tax reform presented by President Iván Duque and were met with state violence.The Colombian constitution frames a welfare state, stating tha...

Enfield cycling instructors to protest 12 year pay freeze equivalent to 30% real pay cut Wednesday 14 July

Enfield’s Cycling instructors will demonstrate outside Enfield Civic Centre from 18.45 on Wednesday 14 July Instructors will protest a 12 year pay freeze equivalent to a £172 per week pay cut, unfair cancellation policy and increase in unpaid work Enfield Council refuse to enter into negotiations...

Cynical Uber cut pay as they give with one hand and take with the other, says IWGB

Yesterday Uber announced to drivers that their longest serving drivers would see the service charge that they take from their pay increase from 20% to 25%. This comes at a time when drivers are still desperately trying to recover from being hit hard by the pandemic. Last year drivers saw wages re...

IWGB response to new government watchdog for workers' rights

In response to today’s breaking news that the government plans to introduce a new workers’ rights watchdog, Henry Chango-Lopez, General Secretary of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) which represents precarious, migrant and gig economy workers, says: “In the courts and in the...

Palestine Solidarity Statement

We, as General Secretary and President of the IWGB (Independent Workers Union of Great Britain), send our solidarity to workers taking part in the Palestinian General Strike.As trade unionists, we believe that international solidarity is a key part of our movement. The IWGB has a proud history of...

Bolt Hides from Workers Demanding Safety Protections After Murder of Driver

IWGB’s United Private Hire Drivers Branch (UPHD) held a protest outside Bolt’s offices in London yesterday An internal survey finds 71 percent of drivers have been assaulted on the job, with 82 percent reporting experiences of verbal abuse Drivers are demanding better safety protections, after dr...

Kill The Bill - May Day Mobilisation

Organising against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill #KillTheBillThe IWGB calls for the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will make nonviolent protest a criminal offence, to be scrapped in its entirety. The IWGB is a signatory to a joint statement to organise against th...

Workers fight racial discrimination at UK’s biggest parenting charity

16 April 2021: The Charity Workers Branch of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are campaigning against racial discrimination targeted at workers at the National Childbirth Trust. Ahead of a parliamentary debate on 19 April about the large racial disparity in maternal mortalit...

VICTORY: Foster carers are workers for the purpose of Article 11

A decision by judges at the Court of Appeal declares that foster carers are workers for the purpose or Article 11. Winning these Article 11 rights as workers provides a strong basis going forward to argue other statutory workers rights. The IWGB Foster Care Workers Branch formally calls for a gov...

Deliveroo riders strike tomorrow over pay and conditions as Deliveroo nosedives on the London Stock Exchange

Hundreds of Deliveroo riders are expected to strike tomorrow 7 April for fair pay, safety protections and basic workers’ rights. Socially distanced protests planned in London, York, Sheffield, Reading and Wolverhampton. Since the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed Deliveroo pays some rid...

Deliveroo riders to strike and investor briefing exposes further risk as major investment firms shun Deliveroo over exploitation of key workers

Hundreds of UK Deliveroo riders expected to strike on 7 April when the IPO occurs. This follow’s last week’s revelations that riders can earn as little as £2 per hour. Investor briefing produced by the IWGB alongside ShareAction and The Private Equity Stakeholder Project outlines significant fina...

REVEALED: Many Deliveroo riders paid less than minimum wage - Questions raised ahead of IPO

Henry Chango-Lopez, General Secretary (IWGB) says: “Deliveroo is giving Britain a bad name. Now more than ever, potential investors should be clear on the serious financial and reputational risks associated with Deliveroo. If these figures are representative and Deliveroo is denying a third of it...

IWGB condemns Bolt CEO Markus Villig’s “negligence”

On Friday 19 March private hire driver Muhammad Alam was threatened at knife point before his car was stolen while on a trip for Bolt. The assailants booked the trip on the Bolt app on a stolen phone, as happened in the case of Gabriel Bringye - an IWGB member and Bolt driver who was stabbed whil...

IWGB calls on HMRC to enforce Uber Supreme Court ruling on unpaid waiting times, saying company is still taking drivers for a ride

In a historic victory for gig workers Uber concedes basic workers’ rights, saying drivers "should not have to compromise on flexibility in order to benefit from new rights and protections.” Uber announced minimum wage guarantees during trips only, and IWGB now calls on HMRC to enforce the Supreme...

We will not be silenced: solidarity with protesters!

The IWGB stands in solidarity with women and their allies who gathered to exercise their right to protest in memory of Sarah Everard on Clapham Common at the weekend. Our thoughts are with the family of Sarah Everard at this time.It is our belief that the right to protest, which is a human right,...

More than one hundred couriers take on delivery company Stuart in workers’ rights claim

The IWGB has joined forces with law firm Leigh Day arguing that, because of the way the company operates, couriers should be classed as workers.Anthony Doherty, a Stuart courier, said: “I have worked for Stuart Delivery throughout the pandemic. While most of the country was staying home and stayi...

Minicab drivers strike over safety concerns following murder of London Bolt driver

Private hire drivers strike today in memory of IWGB member and private hire driver Gabriel Bringye who was murdered on 17 February while working for app-based private hire company Bolt. 17.00-19.00 drivers will switch off apps, light candles and display placards on their vehicles to commemorate G...

El IWGB lanza la campaña #FairFurloughNow para proteger la salud pública y a los trabajadores precarios mientras los despidos vuelven a aumentar

La rama de Limpieza e Instalaciones del IWGB lidera el llamamiento al Gobierno para que prorrogue indefinidamente el Plan de Retención de Empleo y haga obligatorio su cumplimiento para los empleadores La campaña #FairFurloughNow, respaldada por 30 parlamentarios, pone de relieve cómo los trabajad...

IWGB launches #FairFurloughNow campaign to protect public health and precarious workers as redundancies rise again

IWGB Cleaners & Facilities Branch leads call on Government to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme indefinitely and make compliance compulsory for employers The #FairFurloughNow campaign, backed by 30 MPs, highlights how precarious migrant workers are being hit hardest by redundancy an...

Key-worker couriers and local businesses ignored as Council puts livelihoods at risk

Couriers and businesses left in the lurch by archaic and unfit city-centre access regulations York IWGB access proposals shot down by transport executive, despite opposition from business owners, couriers, York Labour and union leaders Precarious key workers left to choose between incurring ruino...

IWGB forms UK’s first yoga teachers' union to take on exploitation, harassment and discrimination in the sector

UK yoga teachers have unionised for the first time ever to form a branch of the IWGB, a union known for organising ‘unorganisable’ precarious workers. Most yoga teachers have no job security, no sick pay, no paid leave and no employer pension contributions. Key concerns include precarity, poverty...

IWGB challenges Deliveroo’s refusal of collective bargaining as a human right in Court of Appeal

Case will be heard in the Court of Appeal on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 February. Based on Article 11 (Freedom of Association) in the Human Rights Act, the case could extend collective bargaining rights to hundreds of thousands of ‘gig economy’ and frontline workers. 1 February: The Independent Wo...

Precarious workers demand campus shutdown and furlough with COVID-19 declared ‘Major Incident’ in London

With COVID-19 declared a ‘major incident’ in London, precarious workers are still being compelled to provide cleaning and security services in non-essential buildings. Workers from IWGB’s Universities of London branch demand immediate closure of all non-essential university sites and for workers ...

Outsourced University of Greenwich workers vote to strike for equality

Today’s ballot results confirm a majority vote at 69 percent in favour of industrial action at the University of Greenwich by members of the IWGB Universities of London Branch. The vote comes weeks after the branch’s flagship campaign to #EndOutsourcing at the University of London ended in victor...

The gift of a union: IWGB votes to organise Amazon Flex workers this Christmas

Following the union’s support for Progressive International’s global boycott and strike against Amazon on Black Friday, the IWGB’s Couriers & Logistics Branch voted yesterday to welcome Amazon Flex workers to join its ranks. Flex workers join couriers from other ‘gig’ giants such as Deliveroo...

University of Greenwich outsourced workers to vote on strike action over pay, conditions and racial discrimination

Strikes will be part of the IWGB's campaign, launched today, to end outsourcing at University of Greenwich. Outsourced workers have far worse conditions than directly employed staff, including worse pensions, pay and parental leave. The IWGB has documented a number of management failures and disc...

Government admits defeat, health and safety protections to be extended to all ‘gig economy’ and frontline workers

At a Judicial Review brought by the IWGB, the High Court ruled in favour of the union and found that the UK Government has failed to properly implement EU health and safety directives. Now the deadline to appeal has passed the government must take legislative action to extend health and safety pr...

60 MPs back IWGB campaign to end unfair key worker terminations by Deliveroo and Uber

A cross-party group of 60 MPs signed the Early Day Motion calling for a fair terminations process for key workers including app-based couriers and private hire drivers. Companies like Uber and Deliveroo offer no due process and do not investigate automated terminations or even provide evidence of...

IWGB wins groundbreaking health and safety legal challenge against the Government

The IWGB has won a judicial review against the UK Government calling for health and safety protections for ‘gig economy’ and precarious workers. The High Court ruling means that the UK Government failed to properly implement EU health and safety directives and must now extend health and safety pr...

Security Officers at University of Greenwich demand an end to racial discrimination

The IWGB union has served formal notice of dispute on Sodexo on behalf of security officers working at University of Greenwich, after a unanimous vote, demanding an end to racial discrimination. Security officers are demanding hazard pay, which has been granted to White British porters, while the...

Henry Chango Lopez elected IWGB General Secretary

Henry Chango Lopez was elected unanimously at the union’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday. Mr. Lopez joined the union in 2013 and has played a key role in its campaigns and growth from 300 to 5,400 members. The election follows a major victory for the IWGB, which last week won a 10 year battle...

IWGB Judicial Review demands better Health and Safety for workers in High Court

Case could extend health and safety protections to hundreds of thousands of ‘gig economy’ and frontline workers. Many face the second wave of Covid-19 with no right to PPE or to refuse, without fear of dismissal, work that could endanger them and their families. The IWGB says Covid-19 has made wo...

NHS Covid-19 testing contractor found to be in breach of health and safety regulations, following sacking of whistleblower

The Health and Safety Executive said containers had not been sufficiently washed and couriers were not informed on correct use of PPE. The IWGB has an ongoing case against TDL for trade union detriment and victimisation of whistleblowers who raised the alarm over health and safety. TDL has lucrat...

Deliveroo couriers in Yorkshire to boycott two major restaurant chains in response to plummeting rates

Couriers will not be accepting deliveries today from Five Guys in York and Wagamama in Sheffield. York couriers demand paid waiting times and shorter waiting times. Sheffield couriers demand fair pay, fair termination processes and the reinstatement of a courier dismissed on bogus grounds. 10 Sep...

Landmark legal victory opens door to worker rights for UK foster carers

For the first time ever, a UK Employment Appeal Tribunal finds foster care workers were council employees entitled to employment rights The case, which cuts to the heart of the UK’s national foster care crisis, sets a major precedent for the sector Foster care workers are calling on the Scottish ...

IWGB wins worker status and rights for ‘gig economy’ CitySprint couriers once and for all

City Sprint changed workers’ contracts rather than comply with a previous ruling that they were entitled to holiday pay and minimum wage. The company could now be forced to pay out thousands in unpaid holidays. Union says it is appalled that it had to take CitySprint to tribunal three times becau...

IWGB to continue campaigning to scrap the congestion charge on London minicabs

IWGB to continue campaigning to scrap the congestion charge on London minicabs Court says that disparity between impact of policy on BAME minicab drivers and white taxi drivers is “stark” and “troubling”, but does not rule policy is unlawful. IWGB will continue campaigning against the charge. Las...

High Court grants IWGB permission to challenge Health and Safety legislation

Case could extend health and safety rights to hundreds of thousands of workers Gig economy workers could have right to PPE and to take legal action against employers that dismiss them after they refuse to work under unsafe conditions Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy...

IWGB fights discriminatory minicab congestion charge at Court of Appeal

The IWGB will argue on 30 June and 1 July that the charge disproportionately impacts BAME drivers. Combined impact of Covid-19 pandemic and congestion charge has pushed many drivers into deeper poverty and debt. On 22 June, the congestion charge was increased by 30 percent to £15 per day. 30 June...

Covid-19 couriers first key workers to strike during pandemic following victimisation by NHS contractor TDL

Couriers to strike Wednesday 10 June over redundancies and TDL’s refusal to address staff’s health and safety concerns. John McDonnell MP, Kate Osamor MP and Owen Jones confirmed to speak on a virtual picket line, with events scheduled 10-13.00. The IWGB is also bringing a trade union victimisati...

Lockdown is required to protect BAME and low paid workers’ lives, IWGB to argue in High Court intervention

The IWGB will argue against millionaire Simon Dolan’s legal challenge to prematurely end the lockdown. The IWGB represents primarily low-paid BAME and migrant workers. Black people are four times more likely to die from the virus than white people, and mortality rates in the poorest areas are twi...

Covid-19 couriers vote to strike following victimisation by NHS contractor TDL

NHS contractor The Doctors Laboratory (TDL) has launched a redundancy process targeting trade unionists and whistleblowers The IWGB has launched a trade union victimisation and whistleblower victimisation claim against TDL TDL has refused a number of health and safety demands made by its medical ...

Around 50 cross-party MPs demand Deliveroo protect income and safety of its riders

MPs say thousands of people “are being put at risk” by Deliveroo’s actions and that ignoring the IWGB’s demands counters “efforts to slow the spread of the virus” Demands win cross-party support from 44 MPs including Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and Conservative Sir P...

Judicial Review to force UK Government to extend health and safety rights to "gig economy" workers

A Judicial Review brought by the IWGB could force the Government to extend health and safety rights to ‘gig economy’ workers. According to the IWGB, adequate health and safety protections required by European law, including PPE, are being denied to millions of workers who should be entitled to th...

Covid-19 couriers to vote on strike action over redundancies and health concerns

NHS contractor The Doctors Laboratory (TDL) is making ten couriers redundant at the height of the pandemic TDL has refused a number of health and safety demands made by its medical couriers TDL has made over £28m in profits in 2019 from its contracts with the NHS and private hospitals 7 May: Medi...

IWGB and Uber drivers suing UK government over its failure to protect millions of precarious workers

IWGB and Uber drivers suing UK government over its failure to protect millions of precarious workers Government income support schemes discriminate against limb (b) workers, including those in the “gig economy”, by providing them with less protection than employees Statutory sick pay (SSP) arrang...

IWGB Calls for #BoycottASOS as up to 70 Key Delivery Workers Face Redundancy

“We’re being chucked on the scrap heap, facing the abyss, mid-pandemic.” Commercial collusion between ASOS and delivery giants DPD and Hermes seeks to make up to 70 employees redundant, reneging on previous guarantees of job security. Workers are entitled to but have not been offered furlough und...

London Cycling Instructors appeal to Mayor Sadiq Khan to support them through Covid-19 Crisis, as Government Self-Employed Scheme falls short

Hundreds of cycle instructors in and around London have lost their livelihoods to the Covid-19 pandemic, receiving little or no support from the government. Sadiq Khan asked to ensure TfL honours existing contracts, to retain cycle instructor workforce for London after lockdown. 8 April: The Cycl...

IWGB to sue UK government over its failure to protect precarious workers

IWGB says statutory sick pay (SSP) arrangements discriminate against BAME workers, women and workers in the so-called “gig economy”. 80% wage subsidies for employees further discriminate against “gig-economy” and self-employed workers who are excluded from the scheme. Union has today launched a £...

IWGB General Secretary writes to Prime Minister demanding emergency coronavirus measures for low-paid workers to protect public health

The union’s members, which include cleaners, private hire drivers, couriers, charity and foster care workers will play a vital role limiting coronavirus spread and providing for the most vulnerable. In a letter to the Prime Minister today (PDF), the IWGB demands robust measures such as an overhau...

Deliveroo Covid-19 hardship funds are unworkable; IWGB Couriers send demands to "gig economy" employers

Riders that have tried to apply for the scheme have found that they are unable to secure requested sick note IWGB demands full sick pay without preconditions IWGB demands a number of other measures from all gig economy companies, including safety equipment, medical testing and temporary leave pay...

No love for Deliveroo: riders to call for Valentines Day Wagamama boycott

IWGB Deliveroo riders call for a boycott of Wagamama in Sheffield and York, 6-9pm today, with spokespeople and supporters attending branches in each city. Deliveroo in both cities recently made changes to how the app functions, which in many cases has effectively resulted in a 50% pay cut to well...

Dozens of Foster Care Workers to participate in mass lobby of Scottish Parliament demanding a central register

They will call for a Central Register for Foster Care Workers to standardise training, allocate resources more efficiently and provide independent oversight. A central register is essential to ensure fairness and high standards in the fostering system and to tackle the current shortage of foster ...

London cycling instructors demand Mayor ends 'gig economy' contracts

Instructors provide vital road safety training to FORS certified truck and van drivers, and play an essential role in the Mayor’s environmental and road safety plans. Conditions in the sector have been eroding for over a decade 4 February: Cycling instructors working for London local authorities ...

NHS medical couriers landmark million-pound holiday pay claim to be heard next week

IWGB will argue that a recent European Court decision removes restrictions on holiday pay claims IWGB representing 45 medical couriers, some with claims stretching back up to 20 years If the claim is successful it could provide a powerful new weapon in the fight against the abuses of so-called “g...

First-ever international meeting of app-based transport workers to develop global strategy to challenge platform companies

Workers from 23 countries expected to attend the founding convention of the International Alliance of App-Based Transport Workers (IAATW) on 29-30 January IAATW will bring together workers from international app-based transport services like Uber, Bolt, Grab and Lyft to discuss how they might wor...

Migrant Workers at Boris Johnson donor's club to strike for sick pay on 11 & 12 December

Kitchen porters to strike at 5 Hertford Street private members club, dubbed “Brexit HQ” The club is owned by millionaire Brexiteer Robin Birley, who donated over £250,000 to UKIP and £20,000 to Boris Johnson Kitchen porters, who often have to work when sick, are demanding proper occupational sick...

5 Hertford Street concedes to demands - IWGB suspends strikes pending consultation

Union wins London Living Wage and concessions on sick pay and negotiations Union will proceed with an application for statutory recognition with the Central Arbitration Committee 11 December: The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has called off strikes planned for today and tomorr...

Victory for IWGB! Tiny union wins historic case against the University of London

On Friday 15th January 2016, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) dismissed the appeal from the University of London and found in favour of UoL IWGB Branch Secretary Catherine Morrissey. This means that the University will now be forced to allow staff to choose who represents them.This is another...

IWGB takes rights claim to European court

Workers at the University of London submitted a claim to the European Court of Human Rights yesterday, arguing Britain’s trade union laws violate the Human Rights Convention.University porter Henry Chango Lopez and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) believe a flaw in the Trade...

IWGB votes to campaign and against Brexit and repeal of Human Rights Act

IWGB stands in strong opposition to these views.With this in mind the IWGB recognises that the EU, like its constituent member states, is organised primarily in the interests of capital, as has been demonstrated by recent events in Greece. IWGB stands in solidarity with Greece and with other coun...

Pressure mounts on City Sprint as IWGB continues to target its clients

The protest began at 8.00am, with couriers and union officials alike assembled outside City Sprint’s offices in Central London, before moving off to stage a flash indoor protest at one of the City’s leading law firms- Linklaters. The protestors demanded that Linklaters, an accredited Living wage ...

Low-paid workers at the Royal College of Music protest for improved conditions on graduation day

Outsourced workers at the Royal College of Music will once again protest for improved terms and conditions today at 1.30pm at the college (Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BS). The protest will take place outside the postgraduate graduation ceremony, and is part of an on-going campaign by the In...

Couriers stage surprise flashmob inside Google offices

Ramping up their campaign against CitySprint, IWGB Couriers staged a surprise protest inside Google offices to highlight the chain of exploitation that links clients to CitySprint.Early yesterday morning, couriers who are sick and tired of being exploited by same-day dispatch industry-leader City...

Low-paid workers at the Royal College of Music protest for improved terms and conditions

Low-paid workers at the prestigious Royal College of Music will protest today at 1 p.m. at the College (Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BS) for improved sick pay, holidays, and pensions.Like many higher education institutions, the Royal College of Music outsources services such as cleaning. As ...

CitySprint pushbike couriers stage day-long London Living Wage protest

Pushbike couriers employed by City Sprint will tomorrow stage a full-day protest as part of their campaign to win the London Living Wage of £9.15 per hour. The protest will begin with a rally at 9 a.m. at City Sprint headquarters at 58-62 Scrutton Street, London, EC2A 4PH. At some point before 11...

University of London cleaner activists take employer to Tribunal for trade union victimisation

Seven outsourced women cleaners at the University of London are taking their employer to an employment tribunal on allegations of trade union victimization. The tribunal hearing is scheduled to take place from 16-27 March, 2015 at the London Central Employment Tribunal.The seven Latin American wo...

Low-paid workers at the Royal College of Art begin a campaign for the London Living Wage

Low-paid workers at the prestigious Royal College of Art have this week begun a campaign to win the London Living Wage of £9.15 per hour. The campaign was launched yesterday with a leafleting session at the main entrance to the college in Kensington where more than 400 fliers were distributed.Lik...

Victory at LSHTM as workers win sick pay and holidays

After receiving notice from the IWGB before Christmas, on 30th January, one day before the IWGB deadline expired, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine made an offer to its outsourced cleaners of up to 35 days holiday and 6 months sick pay (depending on length of service)!! The terms...

Pregnant University of London cleaner dismissed because of her "conditions" takes employer to tribunal

An outsourced cleaner at the University of London is taking her employer to an employment tribunal on allegations of maternity discrimination. The tribunal hearing is scheduled to take place on 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 February, 2015 at the London Central Employment Tribunal.Nuvia Erazo Farias is an Ecu...

London Weighting latest: All-staff petition delivered to University of London management

A petition signed by almost 400 staff was delivered today to the University of London. The petition, which calls for an immediate upgrading of London Weighting from the current level of £2134 to £4000, was handed in by IWGB Branch Secretary Catherine Morrissey along with Colin Watson and Graham S...

University of London workers deliver special message to Princess Anne

On the fourth day of their five-day strike over the loss of more than 80 jobs at the University of London, cleaners and other workers marched this morning to Senate House to deliver a letter to the Chancellor of the University, Princess Anne.Along with students and other union members, the worker...

Workers and students occupy Cofely HQ in the Shard

Yesterday morning over 50 students, trade unionists and community residents occupied the tallest building in Europe, the Shard, in central London. They were protesting plans to make 80 cleaners and support staff redundant – mostly migrant women.The main target of the occupation was the French fir...

Latest developments and next steps in the University of London outsourced workers’ dispute

Last week saw the second wave of strike action by porters, cleaners, security staff and maintenance workers employed by the contractor Cofely GDF-Suez at the University of London. The three day strike, which took place on the 27, 28 and 29 of January, followed the previous two day stoppage in Nov...

IWGB strike action next week at the University of London

Outsourced workers at the University of London’s Central Administration, employed by Cofely GDF-Suez, will be striking this Monday to Wednesday, 27 to 29 January, 2014.The first and third days of the strike will be at Senate House, University of London, from 6 am until 1 pm. On the second strike ...

IWGB launches petition for equal rights for outsourced workers at the University of London

For over a year, workers at the University of London have been fighting through their 3 Cosas Campaign – to ensure equality of terms and conditions between the University of London’s direct employees, and its outsourced workers (many of whom are vulnerable migrant workers who speak little English...

IWGB announces strike dates at Balfour Beatty for the new year

The IWGB University of London branch has given notice to Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW) of 3 more days of industrial action, to take place on the 27, 28 and 29 January 2014.Last month’s historic strike produced a major victory for the outsourced workers’ campaign. Thanks to a great display of sol...

Balfour Beatty ballot results in – 70% turnout, 97% yes vote

Outsourced IWGB members working for Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW) at the University of London have voted overwhelmingly for strike action as they pursue their goals of recognition, protection for Garden Halls workers and the 3 Cosas.The ballot results, published today, show a massive 97% vote in...

IWGB to join 31 October higher education strike

The IWGB yesterday announced the results of its first ever ballot for strike action at the central University of London. On a 50% turnout, the result was a 100% YES vote, meaning that IWGB members will join the other HE unions in the national strike action taking place on the 31 October. The IWGB...

Outsourced workers strike action grows nearer at University of London

Balfour Beatty, which employs workers on outsourced contracts at the University of London, has failed to respond to notice of a trade dispute from the workers’ trade union, increasing the likelihood of outsourced workers’ strikes at the prestigious institution.The company and the University have ...

Why the University of London’s outsourced workers will go on strike this term

By Sonia Chura, University of London cleaner and Vice-Chair of the University of London Branch of the IWGB.On Thursday, 26 September, the general secretary of my union sent a letter to Balfour Beatty Workplace, the company that does the cleaning, security, and maintenance at the University of Lon...

IWGB cleaners surprise protest and occupation against ISS

The surprise protest and occupation on 17th May 2013 at Capgemini, Vauxhall marks part of the IWGB's campaign for justice for the cleaners employed by the multinational contractor ISS.The cleaners are paid poverty wages, were told their jobs were at risk, and were racially insulted by a senior IS...

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