Dear Dr Michael Spence,

Security staff at UCL, contracted to work for Bidvest Noonan, are facing job losses, cuts in hours and pay and demands to work unsocial shift patterns if proposals made by Bidvest Noonan are implemented.

Bidvest Noonan are proposing to reduce the number of security positions by 40 posts – with a real risk of members of staff being subjected to compulsory redundancies. Furthermore, proposals to create a mass of generic positions on a fixed shift pattern will see a reduction in hours worked by many security staff at UCL, with no proposals to protect the pay of remaining staff. This is notwithstanding the affects this will have on members of staff with caring responsibilities, disabilities or long-term health conditions – all of who are likely to be negatively impacted by these proposals.

We are in no doubt that UCL is aware of these implications and that these proposals have the explicit support of the university as client of the contract. To seek to impose job losses, and effectively cut the pay of so many staff as a means of cutting costs is a totally unacceptable approach from an institution which claims that it values all staff involved in the operation of the university, including its outsourced staff.

Security staff at UCL are dedicated employees who are integral to operation of UCL and keep staff and students on the campus safe. Many worked throughout the pandemic and played an integral role in the ongoing ability of UCL to deliver education, support students and secure its estate throughout periods of lockdown.

In 2019, UCL did the right thing by improving the terms and conditions of its many outsourced staff. To now threaten so many dedicated workers with job losses and reductions in pay is a kick in the teeth for those workers who have given so much of themselves to UCL.

We are writing to you to ask that UCL does the right thing again, and to put a halt to these disastrous proposals.