The following is an open letter calling the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine’s (LSHTM) Senior Management to meet essential workers’ demands of fair treatment and pay, and to ask for the immediate annulation of disciplinary sanctions faced by some workers engaged in union activities and campaigns.
Dear Professor Liam Smeeth, and Senior Managers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,
We are members of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) community and of the wider academic community. We are academics, researchers, employees, students, alumni and collaborators.
We are writing to share solidarity with our colleagues who are cleaners, porters, post-room and security staff, and fully support their demands of fair treatment, pay at a grade 3 like the other in-house maintenance staff, the immediate annulation of the written warnings and a further refusal for the disciplinary actions taken against workers due to trade union activity since the public campaign to raise awareness about their demands started.
After welcoming the School’s decision to agree to the workers’ request to be employed in-house after their successful campaign led by their chosen union the IWGB, we have been extremely concerned at the recent developments regarding the situation of our colleagues and the School’s refusal to negotiate with the workers and their chosen union.
We were looking forward to welcoming them in August 2022 finally as colleagues with the same treatment that School’s employees benefit from. This is particularly concerning that our colleagues, who are essential workers from Black, immigrant and ethnic minorities background seem treated as “second class” workers, especially after the publication of a painful report on structural racism.
Further, we are truly disappointed of the treatment the workers have faced when they raised their concerns to our community by the means of peaceful public protest. Since then, six workers have been suspended following activities related to their union activities. We understand that they have now received a formal written warning, and one worker has received a First & Final Written Warning. These seem to be disproportionate actions, which put our colleagues under the potential threat to be dismissed and jeopardise their ability to enforce their rights to engage in union activities. We believe that academics and researchers member of the UCU have not faced such treatment during their recent union activities and wonder why there is such a difference in treatment in this occasion. We call for you to annul these sanctions against unionised workers, to recognise the union they chose for their campaign and representation, the IWGB.
As members of the public and global health community, we teach, conduct research and impact activities worldwide advocating for communities to support community empowerment and action on social determinants of health. Income, employment and working conditions are some of the most important social determinants of health, so is labour exploitation. We see the lack of discussion between the School, workers and their chosen union, along with salary offers initially outside of the actual pay system in place at the School and the suspension of workers following what may be likened to community engagement and empowerment, as serious causes for widening structural inequalities.
We call the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to meet the demands of the workers and immediately end the suspension of our colleagues. This situation is impeding the trust and respect of the School and of our community. Beyond that, it jeopardises the ability of researchers and academics to be taken seriously by the public when we disseminate and implement our findings to improve people’s lives.
We genuinely hope that this situation that tarnishes the reputation of the School is addressed immediately, before our whole community is affected by it. We will keep ourselves informed about the development of the situation, from both sides, yours and the chosen union. We are waiting for a public announcement from the School after it negotiates with the workers and their chosen union directly.
The following members of the community
Dr Sabah Boufkhed, LSHTM alumni, Lecturer in Global Health, University of Manchester
Karl Blanchet, LSHTM academic, Professor
Dr Sham Lal, LSHTM academic, Assistant Professor, LSHTM
Hugo Legge, LSHTM academic
Amy Ibrahim, LSHTM academic, Research Fellow, LSHTM
Dr Daniel Cauchi, LSHTM academic, Distance Learning Tutor at LSHTM
Neha Singh, LSHTM academic, Associate Professor, LSHTM
David Macleod, LSHTM academic
Prof Jim Todd, LSHTM academic
Kallista Chan, LSHTM academic
Nada Abdelmagid, LSHTM academic, Assistant Professor, LSHTM
Francesco Checchi, LSHTM academic, Professor
Rebecca Penzias, LSHTM academic
Lauren D’Mello-Guyett, LSHTM academic
Emilie Koum Besson, LSHTM academic, Research Fellow – IDE department
Dr Agata Pacho, LSHTM academic
Professor Tom Shakespeare, LSHTM academic, Professor of disability research (EPH/LSHTM)
Lambert Felix, LSHTM academic
James Smith, LSHTM academic, Honorary Research Fellow
Dr Yoko Laurence, LSHTM academic, Research Fellow, LSHTM
Dr Poppy Mallinson, LSHTM academic
Heidi Hopkins, LSHTM academic, Associate Professor, LSHTM
Madeleine Cochet, LSHTM alumni
Ioana Vlad, LSHTM alumni
Angela, LSHTM alumni, Research Fellow, University of Bath
Dr Tessa Roberts, LSHTM alumni, Research Fellow
Dr Courtney Scott, LSHTM alumni
Esteban Hadjez B., LSHTM alumni, Profesor de Salud Pública, Universidad de Valparaíso – Chile
Sarosh Naqvi, LSHTM alumni
Hayley Smith, LSHTM alumni
Charlene Degen, LSHTM alumni
Laura Anselmi, LSHTM alumni
Dr Donna Alabdulbaqi, LSHTM alumni
Julia Shen, LSHTM alumni, Project leader, Healthcare practice, Boston Consulting Group
Nuri, LSHTM alumni
Amy Gimma, LSHTM alumni, Former LSHTM Academic Staff
Belene, LSHTM alumni
Rik Viergever MD PhD, LSHTM alumni, social entrepreneur
Isobel Braithwaite, LSHTM alumni, PhD researcher, UCL Institute of Health Informatics
Fran Bury, LSHTM alumni
Liam Crosby, LSHTM alumni, Public Health specialty registrar, London
Ahimza Thirunavukarasu, LSHTM alumni, Public Heath registrar
Sara Bainbridge, LSHTM alumni, Specialty registrar in public health
Nurul Maretia Rahmayanti, LSHTM alumni
Antigoni Karkanaki, LSHTM alumni
Petra schoenweger, LSHTM alumni
Dr Tom Yates, LSHTM alumni, Clinical Lecturer in Infectious Diseases, University College London
Benedetta Pongiglione, LSHTM alumni
Andrés Sánchez Pájaro, LSHTM alumni, Researcher at National Institute of Public Health (Mexico)
Katie Waldo, MSc, LSHTM alumni
Kristin Murphy, LSHTM alumni
Isabella Jäntti, LSHTM alumni
Owen Pullen, LSHTM alumni
Shahida Chowdhury, LSHTM alumni
Alexandre Robert, LSHTM alumni
Jason Glaser, LSHTM alumni, CEO of La Isla Network
Seona Cha, LSHTM alumni
Miriam Peters, LSHTM alumni
Agnes Bangali, LSHTM alumni
Penelope Milsom, LSHTM alumni
Rory Gibb, LSHTM alumni, Research Fellow, University College London
Dr João Martins, LSHTM alumni, Public Health registrar
Dr Ciaran Kennedy, LSHTM alumni, Public Health Specialty Registrar
Dr Temitope Fisayo, LSHTM alumni
Muna Abdullahi, LSHTM alumni, Research Analyst, Beacon Targeted Therapies
Nilani Chandradeva, LSHTM alumni
Pablo Ruiz Cuenca, LSHTM alumni
Dr Kim Jeong, LSHTM alumni, Distance Learning Tutor
Cristina Leggio, LSHTM alumni, Public Health Microbiologist, UK-PHRST
Mae Chester-Jones, LSHTM alumni
Dani Bancroft, LSHTM alumni
Robert Fain, LSHTM alumni
Dr Rita Issa, LSHTM alumni, GP and Clinical Research Fellow, UCL Institute for Global Health
Rachel Burns, LSHTM alumni, Research Fellow in Epidemiology, UCL
Lauren Wedekind, LSHTM alumni, MD/PhD student
Jasmine Burton, MPH, MBA, LSHTM alumni, CEO of Wish for WASH
Fiona Mortell, LSHTM alumni
Hanaâ Benjeddi, LSHTM alumni
Dr Ngozi Erondu, LSHTM alumni
Margaret Dunne, LSHTM alumni
Lucy Cullen, LSHTM alumni
Julius-Cezar MacQuarie, LSHTM other staff, LSHTM seminar leader
Marieme Fall, LSHTM other staff
Jenny Mathew, LSHTM researcher
Dr Soledad Cuevas Garcia-Dorado, LSHTM researcher
Dr Elaine Flores, LSHTM researcher
David Lugo Palacios, LSHTM researcher
Tate Oulton, LSHTM researcher
Ludoviko Zirimenya, LSHTM researcher, Clinical Research Scientist
Dorothy Boggs, LSHTM researcher, ICED Research Fellow, Staff PhD candidate
Mervat Alhaffar, LSHTM researcher
Thais Gonzalez Capella, LSHTM researcher, Research assistant and PhD student (GHD/PHP)
Dr Kerrie Stevenson, LSHTM researcher, Public Health Doctor (Registrar), LSHTM and NHS
Hannah Rickman, LSHTM researcher
Rahaf Abu Koura, LSHTM researcher, Research Fellow
Veronika Reichenberger, LSHTM researcher
Sali Hafez, LSHTM researcher, DrPH candidate and DrPH representative
Mihaly Koltai, LSHTM researcher
Rachel Scott, LSHTM researcher
Dr Maureen Seguin, LSHTM researcher, Research Fellow in Public Health and Policy
Dr Annie Tremp, LSHTM researcher
Frederik Federspiel, LSHTM student, PhD student
Dr. med. Timm Haebel, LSHTM student
Prima Alam, LSHTM student, PhD student, LSHTM
Romain Clercq-Roques, LSHTM student, PhD student, LSHTM
Georgia Gore-Langton, LSHTM student, PhD student
Frederick Sarathchandra, LSHTM student, PhD Student
Luke Brandner-Garrod, LSHTM student, PhD Student/Insectary Technician
David Simons, LSHTM student, PhD Student, RVC, LSHTM and UCL
Susan Abarca Salazar, LSHTM student
Hristina Vasileva, LSHTM student, PhD student, LSHTM
Kathryn Boyd, LSHTM student
Louis Walsh, LSHTM student, PhD Student
Jack Bickford-Smith, LSHTM student, PhD student LSHTM
Rhodri Edwards, LSHTM student, PhD student
REBECCA ROSCOE, LSHTM student
Gwen Chang, LSHTM student
Monica Sharman, LSHTM student
Kerry Littleford, LSHTM student, Public Health Specialty Registrar
Alicia Showering, LSHTM student, PhD student
Katie Patrick, LSHTM student
Jamie Fagg, LSHTM student, Specialist registrar in Public Health and current distance learning student
Anna Deal, LSHTM student
Tilly Alcayna, LSHTM student, PhD student
Esther Rottenburg, LSHTM student
Page Light, LSHTM student
Zahra Omole, LSHTM student, PhD student
Kristen Renneker, LSHTM student, PhD student
Sophie Chung, LSHTM student, Student, LSHTM
Daniel Lee, LSHTM student
Alexander Hamilton, LSHTM student
Aleysha Rattray, LSHTM student
Maxine Pepper, LSHTM student
Elise Digga, LSHTM student
Davinia Springer, LSHTM student, PhD student
Owen Hart, LSHTM student
Milena Wuerth, LSHTM student
Sara Cavagnis, LSHTM student
Dr Halima Mohamed, Do not wish to share, Public health specialist
Mouna Khaity, Do not wish to share
Julia Hartviksen, Other member of the academic/research community, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Brighton
Dr. Manuela Irarrázabal, Other member of the academic/research community
Adrija Dey, Other member of the academic/research community, Senior Research Fellow
Ekabali Ghosh, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD student, SOAS
Professor Sean Griffiths, Other member of the academic/research community, Professor, University of Westminster
Dr Sebastian Groh, Other member of the academic/research community, Research Associate, UCL
Edward Hadfield, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD student, University of Westminster
Dr Lindsay Bywood, Other member of the academic/research community
Aoife keohane, Other member of the academic/research community, Programme Lead, KCL
Kia-Chong Chua, Other member of the academic/research community, Lecturer in applied health statistics, King’s College London
Siddharth Chakravarty, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD student, QMUL
Maddalena Italia, Other member of the academic/research community, Research Fellow (UCL)
Sophie, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD student
Emel Yorganci, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD student
Pippa Catterall, Other member of the academic/research community, Prof at University of Westminster
Dr Virginie Le Masson, Other member of the academic/research community, Research Fellow, University College London
Yousaf Nishat-Botero, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD Student
Mauro Pucheta, Other member of the academic/research community
Dr Catherine Arthur, Other member of the academic/research community, Lecturer, University of Manchester
Mara Nogueira, Other member of the academic/research community, Lecturer in Urban Geography, Birkbeck College
Dr Stephanie Rinaldi, Other member of the academic/research community, Research Programme Manager, University of Manchester
Louisa Acciari, Other member of the academic/research community, UCL
Claire Marcel, Other member of the academic/research community
Shailza Sharma, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD Student, University of Exeter
Dr Roisin Read, Other member of the academic/research community, Lecturer in Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Manchester
Christina Timehin, Other member of the academic/research community, Public health registrar
Yamina Boukari, Other member of the academic/research community, Research Fellow, University College London
Dr Jessica Hawkins, Other member of the academic/research community, Senior lecturer in Humanitarian Studies, the university of Manchester
Alessandro Tirapani, Other member of the academic/research community
Christy Braham, Other member of the academic/research community,
Otto Wolf, Other member of the academic/research community, PhD Student
Dr Piyush Pushkar, Other member of the academic/research community, Clinical lecturer, University of Manchester
Dr Aleksandra Herbec, Other member of the academic/research community, Senior Research Fellow, University College London
Antoine Burgard, Other member of the academic/research community, Lecturer in humanitarian studies
Kristen Meagher, Other member of the academic/research community,
Dr Davide Pero, Other member of the academic/research community, Associate Professor in Employment Relation/HRM, University of Nottingham
Dr. Vera Weghmann, Other member of the academic/research community, University of Greenwich
Note: The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has responded to the content of this post. Please see LSHTM’s published response here.