Wildcat strike at SOAS

A crowd gathers at SOAS today
A crowd gathers at SOAS today

The School of Oriental and African Studies in London has been shut down today after management suspended a union activist. This is a deveoping story, updates in the comments.

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 29, 2015

All classes cancelled at SOAS after management suspended Unison activist Sandy Nicoll, reportedly for expressing support for an ongoing student occupation on campus.

NEWS: @SOAS cancels all classes for Thursday 29 October ahead of protests against the suspension of Unison representative Sandy Nicoll— London Student (@LondonStudent) October 29, 2015

SOAS students and staff all out! HUGE wildcat strike going on right now. No trade union victimisation! pic.twitter.com/0PR45gOzkv— Against Fees & Cuts (@NCAFC_UK) October 29, 2015

SOAS is shut down! Hundreds here in solidairty with a victimised trade unionists pic.twitter.com/L3ZmHy3z8V— Against Fees & Cuts (@NCAFC_UK) October 29, 2015

Massive protest of students & workers outside @SOAS supporting Sandy Nicholl @unisontweets #ReinstateSandy #Unison pic.twitter.com/4Q9rRWESQe— NSSN (@NSSN_AntiCuts) October 29, 2015

NEWS: @SOAS Unison have met and voted to strike in response to suspension of representative Sandy Nicoll #ShutdownSOAS— London Student (@LondonStudent) October 29, 2015

Massive scenes at SOAS. Management have locked the main building in response to a protest. #shutdownSOAS— Charlie Warren (@chazfreakish) October 29, 2015

Protest at SOAS, in support of suspended Sandy Nicholl, Unison & Justice For Cleaners activist #victimisation pic.twitter.com/DsTHWeUXJt— Jack S (@casi_insurgente) October 29, 2015

About to do a giant hokey -strikey at SOAS pic.twitter.com/V4JNQlr9O0— Harry Stopes (@HarryStopes) October 29, 2015

Comments

Joseph Kay

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 29, 2015

NEWS: @SOAS Unison have met and voted to strike in response to suspension of representative Sandy Nicoll #ShutdownSOAS— London Student (@LondonStudent) October 29, 2015

Massive scenes at SOAS. Management have locked the main building in response to a protest. #shutdownSOAS— Charlie Warren (@chazfreakish) October 29, 2015

Protest at SOAS, in support of suspended Sandy Nicholl, Unison & Justice For Cleaners activist #victimisation pic.twitter.com/DsTHWeUXJt— Jack S (@casi_insurgente) October 29, 2015

About to do a giant hokey -strikey at SOAS pic.twitter.com/V4JNQlr9O0— Harry Stopes (@HarryStopes) October 29, 2015

Chilli Sauce

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on October 29, 2015

Ow, wow, that's very exciting.

I've actually met Sandy a few times. He's no anarchist, that's for sure, but he was super helpful when stuff was happening with the Pret a Manger union a few years back. Definitely a dedicated militant who deserves this sort of support.

Chilli Sauce

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on October 29, 2015

Also. someone post this as a blog or a news article!

no1

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by no1 on October 29, 2015

Definitely a dedicated militant who deserves this sort of support.

For the sake of completeness it's worth pointing out that he was an unwavering loyalist in the SWP rape scandal. IMO it's important that bosses aren't allowed to make an example of a workplace organiser, but I don't particularly care for the guy.

Steven.

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on October 29, 2015

This is great news solidarity and best of luck to the workers. Anyone know if it's due to continue tomorrow? I'll try to stop by if so

and yes, as has been pointed out, regardless of whether someone has some pretty horrible views we must stand solidly with our fellow workers if they are under attack for sticking up for their colleagues and fighting the bosses

Joseph Kay

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 29, 2015

http://wire.novaramedia.com/2015/10/what-is-shutdownsoas/

Joseph Kay

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 29, 2015

Steven.

This is great news solidarity and best of luck to the workers. Anyone know if it's due to continue tomorrow? I'll try to stop by if so

Demo 1pm tomorrow: https://www.facebook.com/events/915576218522002/

And yeah the SWP needs to die in a fire but the bosses don't get to light the match.

jef costello

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by jef costello on October 29, 2015

Joseph Kay

And yeah the SWP needs to die in a fire but the bosses don't get to light the match.

exactly

Awesome Dude

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Awesome Dude on October 29, 2015

Looks to me he's been suspended for "bringing the institution into disrepute", a tactic that has been used recently by cleaning companies to rid themselves of trade union militants and discipline the rest of the workforce using fear and anxiety.

This is naked union busting. But what is really interesting is that it is a higher education institute that is adopting these tactics to get rid of it's union militants just before major cuts to services. When I was a union rep a few years ago, in higher education, "bringing the institute into disrepute" was usually reserved for misconduct like academic plagiarism and rarely used to punish "free speach" liberals and lefties. Along with other union reps, I regularly organised and put statements of solidarity like the one that Sandy got sacked for. But never imagined we'd get the sack for it considering who we were working for.

Also reckon university management teams are also exploiting their new statutory duty to regulate "extremism" on campuses to crack down on dissent in all it's forms (think this is what finally swayed Queen Mary University to reject the London anarchist bookfair this year).

fingers malone

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by fingers malone on October 29, 2015

Picket line tomorrow at 8 45, there's a request for people to go down to support it.

hamid.moradei

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by hamid.moradei on October 30, 2015

We salute this mass solidarity and protest action!
We support, participate, involve, engage … in a proletarian action/reaction against the attacks of state/capital on our living and working conditions: any proletarian action is a window for future class struggles, even when it is considered to be a dot in the context of an indeterminate course of class battles against the existing social order.

Chilli Sauce

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on October 30, 2015

Anybody make it down the picket line today? Any report-backs?

Chilli Sauce

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on October 30, 2015

Chilli Sauce

Anybody make it down the picket line today? Any report-backs?

So I know, I shouldn't get sucked into this, but what who would down this?

Joseph Kay

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 30, 2015

Whoever it was they just got the bite they were looking for.

plasmatelly

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by plasmatelly on October 31, 2015

Chilli Sauce

Also. someone post this as a blog or a news article!

I don't understand why Chilli? When news or blog posts get too long, I can't find where I'm up to and give up.

Joseph Kay

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on October 31, 2015

Listen, can you hear it?

It's the deafening silence from all the sincere defenders of campus free speech, who strangely don't seem to give a shit when trade unionists are sacked (or in Bahar's case, prosecuted) for speech acts.

Steven.

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on October 31, 2015

Joseph Kay

Listen, can you hear it?

It's the deafening silence from all the sincere defenders of campus free speech, who strangely don't seem to give a shit when trade unionists are sacked (or in Bahar's case, prosecuted) for speech acts.

Yep good point!

Chilli Sauce, anyone can get the odd down vote from an accidental click (or virtual click with assistive software), don't pay any attention unless you get a bunch (and please don't derail discussions into talking about up/down votes as there are many threads about that you could add to if you wanted to)

Steven.

9 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on November 5, 2015

MT

Sounds like a fast victory

yeah, he is still facing disciplinary action but only on misconduct charges so he can return to work and has no risk of being sacked. A great result, massive congratulations to all those involved especially those workers who took illegal wildcat action