Scientists, dreamers… strikers!

“We have so many people standing together that we cannot be ignored, and we have every confidence that we will be heard and we will be making a lasting impact on our industry.

“We are world leaders at our institution and we want to act as world leaders, and inspire others to stand for what’s right.”

This was the message from one striking scientist as hundreds of staff from the world-renowned Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) gathered for a rally in South Kensington after weeks of industrial action yesterday (18 June). 

Unite represents staff who work across Scientific Research, Laboratory Support, and Site Management based at the ICR in Sutton and in Chelsea, and are furious over the lack of an improved pay offer when the organisation has hundreds of millions in cash reserves and pays its CEO over £400,000 per year.

Despite the vital life saving research the workers are involved with they have been offered just a 3.75 per cent pay increase amid a cost-of-living crisis, along with the refusal to implement an increment-based pay policy. 

Many currently earn barely over the London Living Wage of just £14.80 per hour. The workers have experienced a series of below inflation pay rises over recent years, resulting in severe cuts in their living standards.

Throughout June staff have walked out and headed to picket lines for the first time in their history, severely affecting laboratories and facilities.

As they marched through the streets of west London a striking staff scientist said, “Never in my life did I think that I would be on strike, never in my life did I think there would be a need to get together with hundreds of colleagues and take to the streets.

“Because we are scientists, we are dreamers, we are numbers people.”

But numbers people still need to make the maths work during a cost of living crisis and poor pay adds stress to a highly skilled job that provides vital research to save lives in the fight against cancer. 

A colleague added, “It’s powerful, it’s a powerful thing to see scientists from both sites come together in solidarity all for a good cause, it’s a good fight.

“I know colleagues of mine who are struggling. They are struggling to afford just the day to day items of life. I know people doing two jobs just to make ends meet.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham told the crowd that, while the ICR might be a world-leading scientific centre of excellence, the way it treats its staff is at the bottom of the pile.

The general secretary said, “The money is there. We know they have the reserves,’ she said. ‘If he went on strike, nobody would notice. It’s only when you go on strike that people will notice, because you do all the work.’

Unite members were supported by fellow trade unionists and Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright addressed the rally, pointing out that firefighters are more likely to get cancer than the general public, and that “Research from people like you has made our members safer.

“You save lives and people need to hear and understand that.”

Below are photos from the rally.

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Mark Thomas