"We are the Lions" has opened to much praise and is stimulating solidarity with Deliveroo, Uber drivers and Durham teaching assistants

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 From Grunwick 40

 "We Are The Lions", the exhibition about the Grunwick strike is open and it's getting a fantastic reception! 

"History pulsating from the walls"

"A wonderful display of such an important, inspiring and pivotal moment in history"

You can read some of the press coverage here, here and here. What's more, you can also watch curator  Poulomi Desai talk about the exhibition on London Live here and listen to her too on the Robert Elms show (39 mins in).

We're really delighted at the feedback so don't forget to visit yourself! Click here for opening times and details.

Some upcoming events

This Weds 2nd November, we meet at SOAS for a screening of the "The Great Grunwick Strike" film. Directed by Chris Thomas in 2007 and featuring original footage and interviews, the film tells the inspiring story of the strike and the people behind it. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Amrit Wilson (writer and activist), Conseulo Moreno (SOAS Justice for Cleaners Campaign) and Sujata Aurora (chair of Grunwick 40). The discussion will be chaired by Parvathi Raman of the SOAS Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies who have co-organised the event. Admission is free and there's no need to book, just turn up at 7pm to the Khalili Lecture Theatre at SOAS (Click here for details and a map).

The legal ruling last week on Uber drivers' employment rights has brought into sharp focus the issues of the so-called "gig economy" where many migrant workers are now concentrated. On 26th November we'll be bringing together activists, trade unionists, campaigners and thinkers, to discuss the legacy of the Grunwick strike and the new terrains for resistance. We'll be tracing the thread of what links Grunwick to current struggles for justice and participants will include the Durham teaching assistants and others currently in dispute. "From Grunwick to Deliveroo: getting organised, getting unionised" takes place from 10am-4.30pm in Willesden. Admission is free but registration is essential. Click here to book.

Finally, we are still working on the permissions and the paperwork for the unveiling of the mural and hope to make an announcement soon. In the meantime you can get a sneak preview of some of the work that went into the mural at the "We Are The Lions exhibition".

We look forward to seeing you either at the exhibition or at one of our November events.

Yours 

The Grunwick 40 team

GMB puts employers on notice after Uber victory

Great money? £5.03 an hour after costs and fees.

 From the GMB union

 Similar contracts masquerading as bogus self employment will all be reviewed says GMB

GMB, the union for professional drivers, has won their case against Uber as the London Employment Tribunal has determined that Uber has acted unlawfully by not providing drivers with basic workers’ rights. (see notes to editors for previous press releases)

GMB brought two test cases to the Central London Employment Tribunal on 20 July 2016 and it has decided that Uber drivers are entitled to receive holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and an entitlement to breaks. The Tribunal decision will have major implications for over 30,000 drivers in London and across England and Wales and for workers in other occupations.

GMB found last year that a member working exclusively for Uber received just £5.03 per hour in August after costs and fees were taken into account, significantly below the national minimum wage of £7.20. Lawyers for the drivers also argued that Uber acts unlawfully by frequently deducting sums from drivers’ pay, often without informing the drivers in advance, including when customers make complaints.

Maria Ludkin, GMB Legal Director, said:

This is a monumental victory that will have a hugely positive impact on over 30,000 drivers in London and across England and Wales and for thousands more in other industries where bogus self-employment is rife.

Uber drivers and other directed workers do have legal rights at work. The question for them now is how those rights are enforced in practice. The clear answer is that the workforce must combine into the GMB union to force the company to recognise these rights and to negotiate fair terms and conditions for the drivers.

This loophole that has allowed unscrupulous employers to avoid employment rights, sick pay and minimum wage for their staff and costing the government millions in lost tax revenue will now be closed.

Uber drivers and thousands of others caught in the bogus self-employment trap will now enjoy the same rights as employees. This outcome will be good for passengers too. Properly rewarded drivers are the same side of the coin as drivers who are properly licensed and driving well maintained and insured vehicles.

GMB will be getting on with the business of campaigning and recruiting at Uber to ensure our members’ rights are respected.

GMB will give evidence to the new Taylor review on terms and conditions within the sectors of the economy offering precarious employment. We will make the case that average hours worked over the past 12 weeks should be deemed to be the contracted hours of work for those on zero hours as it already is for maximum hours of work under the Working Time Directive.

GMB puts employers on notice that we are reviewing similar contracts masquerading as bogus self employment, particularly prevalent in the so called ‘gig economy’. This is old fashioned exploitation under newfangled jargon, but the law will force you to pay GMB members what they are rightfully due.

 Nigel Mackay, Leigh Day employment lawyer, said:

We are delighted that the Employment Tribunal has found in favour of our clients.

This judgment acknowledges the central contribution that Uber’s drivers have made to Uber’s success by confirming that its drivers are not self-employed but that they work for Uber as part of the company’s business.

Uber drivers often work very long hours just to earn enough to cover their basic living costs. It is the work carried out by these drivers that has allowed Uber to become the multi-billion-dollar global corporation it is.

We are pleased that the employment tribunal has agreed with our arguments that drivers are entitled to the most basic workers’ rights, including to be paid the National Minimum Wage and to receive paid holiday, which were previously denied to them.

This is a ground-breaking decision. It will impact not just on the thousands of Uber drivers working in this country, but on all workers in the so-called gig economy whose employers wrongly classify them as self-employed and deny them the rights to which they are entitled.