United Voices of the World (UK)

The United Voices of the World (UVW) is a trade union based in the UK that mainly organises among immigrant workers, particularly from Latin America. It is notable for being highly successful despite only being around since 2014.

Timeline

2015: Cleaners at a London art gallery stormed an auction and sprayed buyers with water pistols in protest of low wages and a lack of sick pay.^[1]
2016: Office cleaers in London with the UVW went on strike to demand rehiring of fired workers (their friends) and a wage increase. The strike went on for 52 days (the longest strike in Londons history) and the workers' won their demands.^[2]
2016: In response to the bullying and firing of female cleaners in retail for joining the UVW, hundreds of protesters marched in solidarity outside the shop, resulting in her rehiring.^[3]
2017: Hotelworkers in the UVW who were kept in the dark about a 12.5% service charge increase added to bills (reducing the amount of tips gained for workers, leading to workers losing £5,000 per year). A strike and blockade of the hotel by workers (which led to two being arrested) resulted in 100% of service charges going to workers.^[4]
2017: University cleaners who joined the UVW began weekly strikes with supports from students, resulting in the workers getting paid annual leave, sick pay, parental leave pay and greater pensions after 10 months of the strike^[5]
2018: Recycling workers in the UVW in East London struck in March 2018 in response to poor working condition and a lack of basic facilities. They won contractual sick pay, slower working, new face masks, soap, toilet paper, a shower room, and a decent supply of gloves, uniforms and hard hats. There was also a wage increase.^[6]
2018: The UVW joins the International Confederation of Labor as an observer
2018: Conservative newspaper office cleaners in the UVW were being illegally underpaid and threatened with unemployment if they striked. But, they went on strike anyway with sympathy protests outside the offices, leading to a wage increase beyond the living wage for the area.^[7]
2019: Government building cleaners in the UVW went on strike in response to low wages and wage theft. They won all their demands.^[8]

Contact

You can contact the UVW here

References

[1] ttps://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/14/arts/international/luxury-automobiles-on-the-firing-line.html

[2] ttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/city-of-londons-longest-ever-strike-comes-ends-after-bosses-agree-to-pay-cleaners-london-living-wage-a3312691.html

[3] ttps://www.cloisters.com/news/cloisters-barrister-represents-topshop-cleaner-dismissed-for-campaigning-for-the-london-living-wage/

[4] ttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/20/harrods-tips-restaurants-protests-union-service-charge

[5] ttps://notesfrombelow.org/article/rebellion-lse-cleaning-sector-inquiry

[6] ttps://notesfrombelow.org/article/wildcat-orion

[7] ttps://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/ne9ej7/the-anti-immigrant-daily-mail-just-had-to-give-its-migrant-cleaners-a-pay-rise

[8] ttps://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/uvw-claim-victory-after-rbkc-commits-to-london-living-wage-for-cleaners

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