London, UK. 12th June 2018. The SOAS Unison banner at the rally at the SOAS steps remembing the SOAS cleaners called by SOAS to an 'emergency meeting' at 6:30am on 12th June 2009 after cleaners had campaigned to get the London Living Wage. A few minutes after the start of the meeting, agents of the UK Border Agency rushed in, handcuffed all the cleaners and held them for questioning. Nine were then deported. Credit: Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
London, UK. 12th June 2018. The SOAS Unison banner at the rally at the SOAS steps remembing the SOAS cleaners called by SOAS to an 'emergency meeting' at 6:30am on 12th June 2009 after cleaners had campaigned to get the London Living Wage. A few minutes after the start of the meeting, agents of the UK Border Agency rushed in, handcuffed all the cleaners and held them for questioning. Nine were then deported. People stood with posters with their names - Alberto, Carlos, Heidy, Laura, Lucia, Manuel, Marina, Milton and Rosa - and listened to speeches about this disgraceful action by SOAS management, including from some of those who had worked with them and other staff and students. Consuela and Lenin also talked about the long campaign to get the London Living Wage, decent conditions of service and to be treated with dignity and respect. A ten-year 'one workplace, one workforce' fight the cleaners to be 'brought in house', directly employed by the university has been won in principle but negotiations continue on its implementation. The lecture theatre where that fake early morning meeting was held has been renamed by SOAS students as the Lucas Lecture Theatre, after the son born to Lucia who was pregnant when deported, and the documentary film 'Limpiadores' about the cleaners and the raid was to be shown there later in the day, followed by a panel discussion. Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
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