SOAS reject contracting services
The School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) has decided to stop outsourcing core support services. This means all support staff working for central facilities teams will now be directly employed by the University. Around 120 staff working as cleaners, caterers, receptionists and other roles will now be on the equal terms and conditions as existing directly employed staff.
In a letter to Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore, the Director of SOAS, Baroness Valerie Amos said the changes were “the right decision for the institution”.
She said that:
“We already guarantee the London Living Wage for all our staff, whether contracted externally or not. Now putting our whole workforce on the same terms and conditions reflects our values of social justice and equality”
Mr Dismore, who supported a campaign by staff and students to insource the cleaners last year, welcomed the news. He said:
“I am pleased that the University has listened to their pupils and staff. Outsourcing never really saves money, the only way it can and still make a profit for the company that does it is by reducing the quality of work, and treating staff worse, or paying them less.
“I hope other Universities will follow SOAS’ lead. Facilities staff are often not treated well, when what they do is so vital and irreplaceable.”
