UVW has a strong association with the Latin American community, having been formed amid a protracted effort to secure the London Living Wage for migrant cleaners at the Barbican Centre.
[8] UVW's longest-running active campaign is at the Ministry of Justice, where cleaners, security guards and receptionists outsourced to OCS are demanding the London Living Wage plus parity of sick pay and annual leave with civil servants.
The picket lines were turned into festive moments where participants could dance zumba, make banners with artists, listen to poetry and live music, and take part in salsa-dancing flash mob occupations of the LSE’s directors buildings.
Online, the campaign circulated petitions (e.g. against the surprising police presence on campus), and produced Facebook pages, while established bloggers and professional photographers documented every step of the protest.
"[15] UVW's early growth has been led by staff and volunteers who have worked or spent time in Latin America and are generally supportive of socialist governments, popular movements and alternative media.
Franck Magennis, a barrister then working for UVW as Head of Legal, was attending a peaceful picket with striking security guards outside St. George's medical school on the morning of January 13th 2020.
[24] Some security guards had previously walked off the job in protest of non-essential duties and visitors at a time when most students and management were self-isolating, and the lack of provision of PPE.
[38] In the aftermath of the successful St. Mary's campaign, around 100 predominantly cleaners at GOSH employed by OCS joined UVW demanding to be in-housed as NHS employees.
[39] UVW had also submitted a 45-page legal claim against outsourcing at GOSH, and threatened to include the Trust in a test case of alleged racial discrimination in breach of the Equality Act 2010.
With more strikes and protests planned, it was announced in early January 2020 that all outsourced cafe workers, cleaners and security guards at the university would receive the London Living Wage, in addition to the same sick pay and annual leave as equivalent in-house staff.
They were assured they could lawfully walk off the job in December, citing concerns with the school's response to Covid-19, which had led to several cleaners falling ill.[53] After 4 weeks they resumed work, but their wages for that period were withheld.
[57] The Ark Globe Academy in Southwark, London outsourced its maintenance operations to Ridge Crest Cleaning, who paid the cleaners the minimum wage (£8.72) with no occupational sick pay.
[58] Simon Wrenn, managing director at Ridge Crest, announced in a letter dated 16 July that from the beginning of September term, cleaners would be paid the London Living Wage of £10.75 and sick pay in parity with Ark Globe Academy staff.
[60] It was reported that Harrods management had told staff in a meeting that 50% of the total was retained by the company as revenue, though many believed the true figure to be as high as 75%, which would have resulted in each employee losing out on £5,000 per year.
[61][62] During early January sales in 2017, a contingent organised by UVW including Harrods employees staged a surprise protest and roadblock along the Brompton Road storefront.
[63] A large inflatable cube read "Stop Stealing Our Tips" while a red flare was lit, entrances were locked, two arrests were made, and more than two dozen police frustrated the protestors for several hours.
[64] In 2021, kitchen and waiting staff demanding higher pay were organising as UVW members for strike action ahead of the Christmas shopping season.
[66] In 2018, the Northcliffe House offices of the Daily Mail Group (DMG) were being cleaned by migrants from the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America on the minimum wage (£7.50).
"[67] Around 50 attendants who maintain the seven Royal Parks in central London, mostly from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were being paid the minimum wage (£8.21) by their employer, Vinci Facilities.
It will be a test case to "force employers to think more carefully before they operate a two-tier system which disadvantages migrant labour," while also claiming damages, back pay and pension contributions valued at £750,000.
[69] In April 2021, Royal Parks attendants were again balloted for strike action over significant contractual disparities with in-house staff, and unpaid holiday allowances.
A surprise protest on 1 July 2015 sought to disrupt a major auction night including contemporary art by Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon.
[76][77] Four of the workers involved were denied access the following morning, and suspended indefinitely, after CCTV allegedly captured protestors spraying water pistols at clients.
[84] On the first of three planned strike days, RBKC issued two mixed messages within a few hours, the first apparently committing to bringing the cleaners in-house, and the second merely promising a review of Amey's contract.
[87] Along with UVW staff and supporters, they confronted the general manager and laid out demands including the London Living Wage, contractual sick pay, slower working, new face masks, soap, toilet paper, a shower room, and a decent supply of gloves, uniforms and hard hats.
Demanding a raise to the London Living Wage, and the reinstatement of several colleagues after a cost-cutting restructure in early 2016, a group of cleaners commenced an "indefinite strike" and daily picket.
[89] Filmmaker Hazel Falck secured funding for a short documentary about UVW after her pitch won a contest judged by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2019.
Released for public viewing on the Guardian website[91] in August 2020, United Voices centres on migrant women leading the St. Mary's effort to organise for strike action.