UNISON members win in Richmond

School meals workers employed by giant multi national Sodexo won a tremendous victory over sick pay and hourly rates. Working in Richmond schools the workers - mainly women - began the campaign in small numbers. Their campaign eventually won the support of Ed Miliband who used their fight as an example (in his Leadership acceptance speech) of how workers were exploited and needed a union to help them in their hour of need. Ken Livingston also attended their campaign meetings to offer his support for their campaign.

Sodexo continues its campaign against workers

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TransAfrica Forum Report

Sodexo - one of the largest private contractors for catering and cleaning in the UK - has been exposed, yet again, as a ruthless exploiter of workers in the most appalling poverty. At their last Shareholders AGM in Paris last week the company reported to shareholders once again a year of record profits and trunover. Like its global rival Compass, the company will be seeking extra contracts in the bonanza that will be created by public sector cuts in the UK: http://cleanupsodexo.org/2011/01/new-report-on-sodexo-by-civil-rights-gro.php

Ed Miliband meets Organised School Meals Workers - Conference Speech‏

The new leader of the Labour Party addressed conference today and in his speech acknowledged the campaign led by school meals workers employed by Sodexo in Richmond Borough London.

From Rock Breaking to Strike Breaking‏

Is there no end to the ingenuity and utter cynicism of Sodexo management in the USA? The Washington Post reports that the French based company has now resorted to the use of jailed inmates to cover the work of striking union members. Under the pretext of offering them ‘pre – release’ work experience and skills training the company had them in to cover the strike, despite claiming that 90% of its workers remained on the job.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/2010/09/inmates_served_gmu_student_foo.html

Ken Livingstone joins the campaign against Sodexo in Richmond‏

This week Twickenham Labour Party held a hustings meeting for Labour Party nomination for the London Mayoral election in 2012. UNISON is backing Ken Livingston who offered his full support for the union’s organising campaign in Richmond school meals service. The meeting heard from Sodexo workers who invited the Labour Party members to join the rally outside the Town Hall in Richmond at 8pm on October 19th. Ken Livingstone joins Labour Party Leader candidate Ed Milliband in giving his public support – see link to hear the workers’ case and Ken’s statement of support:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdExtysopkQ