Students from King’s College London (KCL) demonstrated outside the British Film Institute on 5 December, demanding the London Living Wage for its employees and celebrating the recent accreditations of nearby institutions.
KCL students joined volunteers from Citizens UK, the KCL-based parent group Empoderando Familias, the IWGB Union, English for Action and other community organisations.
King’s College London has worked with South London Citizens since 2017. Citizens UK are a nationwide campaign organisation centred around empowering community-driven change with institutional consequences.
The demonstration on 5 December was part of the ‘Social Change Lab’, a second-year Social Science BA module where students are educated on grassroots campaigning and community organisation.
Approximately 90 people cheered as demonstrators unveiled a red carpet in celebration of 1000 workers being given the London Living Wage across London’s Southbank area.
Employers across the Southbank, including Shakespeare’s Globe, The Southbank Centre and the National Theatre, have recently awarded their workers the London Living Wage which is set to rise to £13.85 an hour.
The demonstration started with some words from the organisers and a poem written and recited by King’s student, Aditi Banerjee. Her poem, entitled ‘Lights, Camera Action’ highlighted the role of all workers in the creative industries including bar staff, cleaners and those not traditionally given centre stage.
“No one sees the work of hands hidden by the stage light gleam”… “They carry the machinery that stops the BFI falling apart”
Aditi Banerjee, 2nd Year Social Sciences Student
Poems were performed and speeches were delivered – Martin Parada Berrios
This was followed by an Oscars-like awards show where living wage workers, campaigners and employers were given recognition for their efforts. It was made clear that the employer not given an award was the British Film Institute (BFI), which is still yet to adopt London Living Wage accreditation.
The BFI is presently not a Living Wage Foundation accredited organisation, though it claims to pay its staff the London Living Wage.
The campaigners present said negotiations with the BFI had been moving positively.
When commenting for Roar, a spokesperson for the BFI said: “The BFI is paying the London Living Wage to all directly employed BFI staff”. Given the demonstration was for independent and contracted workers, such as cleaning staff, the spokesperson further clarified, “The London Living Wage has been mandated and stated in BFI procurement contracts since 2015.”
The spokesperson confirmed to Roar, “We are in conversation with the Living Wage Foundation about the BFI becoming an accredited organisation.” Further details of the negotiations were not disclosed.
Following the awards show, the group sang Christmas Carols, with the lyrics altered to match the cause. These included classics such as ‘Hark the Living Wages Rise’, ‘Silent Night, Workers Rights’ and ‘We Wish for Accreditation’ – everyone’s voice was in full force.
The evening was the culmination of months of campaigning by the Living Wage Foundation and smaller community action organisations. They are hoping for a cascade effect down the Southbank, as more businesses gain accreditation.
Roar spoke to Gina, a living wage campaigner and volunteer from Empoderando Familias and English for Action. Gina emigrated to the United Kingdom and had previously worked in low-paid employment, she shared, “I know firsthand what it is to live with low pay and how that is insufficient to provide for a family”.
“I feel I need to be a voice for those who cannot be here tonight because they are working, but they definitely want to be listened to. We are fighting for their rights because it is the right thing to do”
Gina, Volunteer for Empoderando Familias and English for Action
Gina with her award for ‘Hero of the Hour’ – Martin Parada Berrios
Gina is part of the ‘Make London a Living Wage City’ programme, run by CitizensUK, working alongside the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. She told Roar the organisation meets with the Mayor to determine the direction of the campaign, with hospitality and night workers currently target sectors.
The Link With KCL
Second-year students of KCL’s Social Sciences course joined in as part of the Social Change Lab, an optional module taught by Professor Dr Farhan Samanani and Hannah Gretton.
When speaking to Roar, Professor Samanani said: “We were hearing from our students that we were teaching them a lot about what was wrong with the world but they were not feeling equipped to do anything about it”. For him, the aim of the module is “to give the students some tools for a better future by connecting them with some activists I have worked with in the past”.
Both Samanani and Gretton collaborated with at CitizensUK before their work at KCL and have worked on campaigns around migrant and refugee rights, protecting minority communities and pushing for free school meals.
For Samanani him, wider civic involvement of universities is crucial to the future of higher education and a tool for tackling the idea that institutions such as KCL are elitist.
“I think the only way we fight that is not by telling people they are wrong but by rebuilding connection. I think a civic university is connected, it is something people can trust because it is part of their lives, part of their communities, it’s doing things that change the world in a better way that they can notice. If we are not on the front lines of that we are failing as educational institutions.”
Professor Dr Fahan Samanani, Module Convenor for The Social Change Lab
King’s College London has worked with South London Citizens since 2017. Citizens UK are a nationwide campaign organisation centred around empowering community-driven change with institutional consequences.
When commenting, Anita Banerjee, the student who read the poem at the demonstration, reflected on her experiences:
“The module teaches us that social justice work involves action outside of academic articles, theories and textbooks and has inspired us to take an active role in community organising. As I have progressed through this module, I’ve become more involved with campaigns and activism outside of university and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about how they can have an impact in the communities they care about.”
Aditi Banerjee, 2nd Year Social Sciences Student
KCL Students Join In the Demonstration – Martin Parada Berrios
Both Samanani and Gretton hope to continue the module next year, with a different campaigning focus, and collaborate with other KCL academics to include more civic involvement in their teaching practices.
If you’d like to find out more about the Living Wage Foundation and their campaign, click here.
