Statement on strike action by security staff

Published: 13 January 2020

Security staff working for the University’s security contractor, Bidvest Noonan, who are represented by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, are undertaking strike action at St George’s on 13 and 14 January 2020.  

St George’s values the work of all its contractors and staff and is fully committed to providing the best possible working environment for all.  

With regards to one of the areas of dispute, in 2016 St George’s reviewed the possibility of bringing all its outsourced facility services in-house. The Strategy, Planning and Resourcing Committee, the University’s most senior executive committee at the time, carefully considered a number of factors and concluded that St George’s did not have the capacity and capability to bring its security provision in-house. 

We are in active conversation with Bidvest Noonan, our security contractor, with the aim of bringing this dispute to conclusion as swiftly as possible. 

What happened during strike action on Monday, 13 January? 

The University fully acknowledges the right of striking workers to picket. 

The police were called on the morning of 13 January 2020. The Union had previously been advised that picketing was required to take place outside the boundaries of the site as the NHS Trust is the University’s landlord.  

When those striking contravened this request, establishing a picket line by the University’s main entrance, the University asked that it be moved outside the site to Cranmer Terrace. This request was refused. The NHS Trust made the same request. Following further refusals, the police were called.