Summer of student action begins in London

ULU protestors at the Senate House (University of London Union)

Students at the University of London this week kicked off a Summer of Action by setting up an impromptu holiday camp at Senate House, the University of London’s famous offices.

The stunt, part of the 3 Cosas Campaign, is just the start of a series of demonstrations, actions and stunts, according to campaigners, designed to put pressure on university management to increase holidays, sick pay and pensions to some of the university’s lowest paid staff. Students entered Senate House with signs, towels, inflatables and frisbees and set up the holiday camp in the building.

The 3 Cosas campaign focuses on the provisions of outsourced staff at London universities. While staff employed directly receive up to 44 days holiday paid each year, outsourced staff are facing, with bank holidays and closures taken into account, only 14..

Sonia Chura, an outsourced worker at University of London said that the outsourced workers ‘are treated like second class workers’.

“That is why is our 3 Cosas Campaign is fighting against the profound social injustices in the twenty-first century."

One student, who wished to remain nameless, said ‘with a personal salary in the hundreds of thousands the Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Adrian Smith can afford very nice holidays. The same can’t be said for many of his employees.’