London IWW Gen. Members. Branch Solidarity Statement for IWW Cleaners' Branch Secretary
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) London General Membership Branch extends its full support and solidarity to the IWW Cleaners and Allied Trades Branch and its Secretary, Alberto Durango, in the wake of his unfair sacking today from his job at Heron Tower by the contractor Incentive FM Group Ltd.
We categorically condemn this blatant act of victimisation of a leading union activist who has shown selfless dedication and fortitude in spearheading the IWW’s campaign to fight for the rights and interests of cleaning industry workers. This sacking is clearly an act of revenge for Alberto’s role in securing significant success in the IWW’s London Living Wage campaign for the cleaners at Heron Towers and its defence of victimised staff. The grounds for Alberto’s sacking are unjustified, unfair, and obviously a contrived pretext for what amounts to a crude act of union busting.
As Wobblies, we in the London IWW General Membership Branch swear by the IWW core principle that an Injury to One is an Injury to All. We have a zero tolerance policy against union busting practices by management.We will never give up on our Fellow Workers and we vow to provide our full support and solidarity to Alberto and the IWW Cleaners and Allied Trades Branch in what promises to be a relentless campaign to defend Alberto and all other Cleaners who have fallen victim to unfair and exploitative treatment by capitalist management. We echo the IWW Cleaners in calling on all workers to show their solidarity with the Cleaners Branch Secretary and demand the immediate reinstatement of Alberto Durango and no compulsory redundancies.
The Members of the London IWW General Membership Branch.
We furthermore endorse, as a branch, the following IWW Cleaners’ and Allied Trade Branch’s statement and call for solidarity against Fellow Worker Alberto’s Sacking:
The Industrial Workers of the World Cleaners and Allied Trades Branch Secretary Alberto Durango was today sacked from his job at the Heron Tower by the contractor Incentive FM Group Ltd. It is an act of victimisation of a leading union activist well known for campaigning to defend and improve the conditions of workers in the cleaning industry.
In August 2011 IWW secured a significant success on the London Living Wage for cleaners at Heron Tower and in defence of victimised staff. Since the then there have been those seeking revenge against Alberto and the IWW. In November 2011, Alberto was suspended for using a service lift used daily by other staff. The same month IWW negotiated an agreement with the cleaning contractor LCC that there would be no compulsory redundancies and any staff reductions would be by transfers to alternative posts. A new contractor has taken over at Heron Tower who have not recognised this agreement which continues under TUPE, Incentive have singled out Alberto for redundancy without any objective justification.
The company Cushman & Wakefield’s who manage Heron Tower also manage Exchange Tower where IWW has a campaign for the London Living Wage.This company had taken an excessively aggressive stance against IWW and our members, preventing leaflets being distributed and threatening IWW members with investigations.
The Industrial Workers of the World is based on the principle that an injury to one is an injury to all. We call on all workers to show their solidarity with the Cleaners Branch Secretary and demand the immediate reinstatement if Alberto Durango and no compulsory redundancies.
SOLIDARITY FOREVER