Dozens of security guards at one of the UK’s most prestigious universities face losing their jobs, while many more are likely to see pay cuts of as much as £13,500 a year during the cost of living crisis, their representatives have said.
In the latest episode in the long-running fight by outsourced workers at University College London (UCL), the staff have been told that, with the risk of redundancy hanging over them, the roughly 260 existing workers would be expected to compete for around 220 remaining jobs, or leave.
The contractor that handles UCL’s security staffing, Bidvest Noonan, said those who were handed one of the roles were likely to be offered substantially reduced hours and, therefore, pay. Those who were unsuccessful – expected to number about 40 people – would be made redundant if they could not be redeployed elsewhere within the firm.
The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union said many would see huge pay cuts, while changes to the way the roles are carried out could also make the jobs impractical.
According to a Bidvest Noonan presentation seen by the Guardian, the contractor said many of its security staff at UCL relied on working more than 60 hours a week. It said it planned to cut this to a 42-hour-week on average. The IWGB said that would represent losses of up to £13,500 a year for some staff.
A spokesperson added that the plan to impose a four-days-on, four-days-off shift pattern and scrap desk jobs meant that the roles would be “more physically demanding and will also have a detrimental impact on campus safety”.
On Thursday, Ian Dancy, executive director of operations at UCL, said: “Our security colleagues are highly valued and respected members of the UCL community, and we rely on their expertise to ensure our campus is safe and secure.”
Last year, security guards at UCL went on strike for better pay and union recognition, while their representatives accused bosses of trying to intimidate them by bringing in lower-paid agency workers to cover gaps left by the industrial action.
The University and College Union condemned UCL for what it characterised as strike-breaking. It said the act appeared to be an “attempt to victimise workers exercising their lawful rights to join a union and engage in industrial action”.
The IWGB’s general secretary, Henry Chango Lopez, said: “UCL should be ashamed of their treatment of vital outsourced staff. To toss aside so many hardworking people, treating them like numbers on a spreadsheet rather than human beings, goes against all the values UCL claims to stand for.”
Dancy added: “To ensure security teams are more visible and agile across UCL’s large Bloomsbury campus, our providers, Bidvest Noonan, are consulting with their staff on a number of changes.
“Our security colleagues are highly valued and respected members of the UCL community, and we are committed to working closely with them and with Bidvest Noonan throughout this period of change.
“Bidvest Noonan will be doing everything they can to support colleagues through the consultation process and to mitigate any compulsory redundancies.
“This includes making existing and newly created redeployment opportunities available to ensure security staff can be retained within Bidvest Noonan, and the option of an enhanced voluntary resignation scheme.”
Bidvest Noonan has not responded to a request for comment.