Latin American cleaners fight for survival: Lessons for migrant activism

Race and Class

Volumn 53, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 65-82

  Hearn, Julie ^a   Bergos, Monica ^b  

^a LANCASTER UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^b Journalist in Barcelona   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Cleaning workers; Industrial disputes; LAWAS; London Living Wage; Migrant workers; Regularisation; TELCO; Trade unions; Unison; University of London

Indexed keywords

EID: 79959633443     PISSN: 03063968     EISSN: 17413125     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0306396811406782     Document Type: Article

References (90)

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2. Our study involves both 'migrants', who hope to return home, and 'immigrants', often British citizens, who have settled in the UK. Neither 'migrant' nor 'immigrant' is an unproblematic term. The latter has a long history, particularly in the postwar context, as a term of abuse for former colonial subjects coming to the UK. The term 'migrant', which has come to replace it in the academic and policy literature, does not carry the same connotations. However, it can be argued, that it is conceptually weaker because it suggests, possibly prescribes, that workers will return home. We are grateful to a workshop at the 'Defend my workmate' conference held at SOAS in October 2009 for raising this.
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43. See: http://www.seiu.org/our-union/index.php?via=navbar.
44. See: http://www.industrialareasfoundation.org/initiatives.html.
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57. J. Wills with N. Kapko and R. Begum, 'The business case for the living wage: the story of the cleaning service at Queen Mary, University of London' (London, Queen Mary, University of London, 2009), p. 6.
58. Interview with Alejandro, 2008.
59. Interview with Juan, 2008.
60. Interview with Alejandro, 2008.
61. SOAS Living Wage campaign email (9 December 2009).
62. Interview with Eduardo, 2008.
63. Interview with Manuel, 2008.
64. Interview with Ana, 2008.
65. Interview with Oscar, 2008.
66. Interview with Ruben, 2008.
67. Interview with Juan, 2008.
68. Interview with Ruben, 2008.
69. Interview with Ruben, 2008.
70. Interview with Eduardo, 2008.
71. D. Pero, 'Political engagement of Latin Americans in the UK: issues, strategies and the public debate', Focaal-European Journal of Anthropology (Vol. 51, 2008), p. 83.
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73. Interview with Eduardo, 2008.
74. Interview with Ana, 2008.
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77. Interview with Ruben, 2008.
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