Solidarity with migrant workers: demo at Amey HQ in Oxford, Monday 8 December 2008

from caic, updated 5 December 2008:

On Monday 8th December 2008 at 11.00am there will be a noisy demo outside Amey PLC's Corporate HQ in Oxford (address below)called by the Campaign Against Immigration Controls, and The No Borders Network

In September this year 5 migrant cleaners were sacked by Amey Plc for "bringing the company into disrepute".

(Those of you with long memories may remember Amey as the contractor for Whatley Quarry way back when in 1996.)

How were they damaging the company image? By belonging to a Trade Union and telling other staff at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London where they work what was happening to them. Since them they have had their appeal against dismissal rejected.

Background:

Julio (one of the sacked cleaners) recently described how Amey were contracted by the National Physical Laboratory to do the cleaning work. Originally there were 36 Latin American cleaners. When Amey took over the contract at NPL the cleaners were paid £7.10 per hour. The company were surprised at this rate of pay and so attempted to get rid of those workers contracted at this rate of pay.

Their first act was to reduce the levels of staffing. When the workers resisted the company responded using intimidation. On one occasion the workers were invited to a health and safety training session. Once in the room 60 police and immigration officers entered. Some of the workers did not have the papers needed to work and have since been deported.

But this did not deter the other workers who knew their rights and continued to show a tremendous spirit of solidarity and courage.

No Borders Groups from Bristol,Oxford,London & South Wales are attending. It would be great see other groups and individuals there.

Transport is available from Bristol.
E-mail: bristolnoborders@riseup.net

About The Campaign Against Immigration Controls:

Immigration controls are a weapon against the whole work force. They divide us and are a tool of discipline the workforce. If there are workers with less right or no rights, this undermines the position of workers as a whole. The answer must be to oppose immigration controls.

EQUAL RIGHTS ARE IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL WORKERS!

See http://caic.org.uk/

About The No Borders Network:

No Borders is a network of groups struggling for the freedom of movement for all and an end to all migration controls. We call for a radical movement against the system of control, dividing us into citizens and non-citizens.

http://www.noborders.org.uk

Amey
The Sherard Building
Oxford Science Park
Edmund Halley Road
Oxford
OX4 4DQ

"I got a letter from the government the other day, I opened and read it, it said they were suckers." Chuck D

[original article]

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