2025 began with a shock when our office was burgled and ransacked. But what defined the year wasn’t loss — it was solidarity, resilience, and collective power. With your support, UVW welcomed thousands of new members and achieved one of the strongest years in our history.
Winning at Work
In 2025, UVW ran 19 disputes, from small workplaces to our largest-ever strike ballot of over 300 workers. Members won pay rises, stopped redundancies, ended two-tier workforces, and secured dignity and respect at work. We may be a small union, but we punch well above our weight.
Where We Organised
UVW members took action across museums, hospitals, schools, hotels, charities, bars, government departments, and more — including:
- V&A, Science and Natural History Museums
- St Helier & Epsom Hospitals
- Radisson Blu Hotels
- West End Quay
- Ministry of Justice
- Many others across London and beyond
Strikes, Solidarity and Historic Firsts
- First hotel strike in England since 1979 — and the first win in nearly 50 years
- Over 50 days of strike action at national museums
- Joint strikes with PCS, GMB, and solidarity with NEU, IWGB, and others
Organising New Communities
We launched a pioneering organising drive among Turkish and Kurdish workers, with plans to expand into other migrant communities, including the local Bengali community.
Justice Through the Courts
UVW brought dozens of tribunal claims and won over £500,000 in compensation for members in 2025. We appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, Court of Appeal, and even submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court. No employer is too big.
Supporting Members Every Day
Our casework team handled over 1,200 enquiries, providing advice and representation on workplace, housing, and pension issues — ensuring members are never left alone.
Building Power Beyond the Workplace
- Rep trainings and organising workshops
- Cultural events
- English and digital skills classes
- “Know Your Rights” sessions
- Marches for May Day, Palestine, and against domestic abuse
UVW also took to the streets of Whitechapel alongside other community groups to stand up to far-right racists and defend our local community. We proudly defended the diversity of Black, Brown, and migrant people who live and work there — including many UVW members — and made it clear that racism, hate, and division have no place in our workplaces or neighbourhoods.
Research and Reports
- Co-published a landmark report with PILC, IWGB, and Kanlungan on 40 Years of Private Sector Failure in the NHS
- Published a dossier on the Hidden Costs Faced by Low-Paid Migrant Workers at St Helier and Epsom Hospitals
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
In 2025, UVW continued to participate in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, ensuring the voices, experiences, and losses of our members — and of precarious and migrant frontline workers — are heard and never forgotten.
Low-paid, outsourced, and migrant workers kept society running while being denied basic protections, costing lives and livelihoods. UVW’s involvement in the Inquiry holds government and employers accountable and reflects our commitment to justice, memory, and systemic change.
Organising for the Future
UVW launched the Emanuel Gomes Organising School (EGOS) to train the next generation of worker organisers. Named in memory of Emanuel Gomes, who died after working sick because he couldn’t afford to live on Statutory Sick Pay only, EGOS ensures no worker faces his choice again. Graduates are already leading new organising initiatives, making EGOS a permanent part of UVW’s strategy and the wider trade union movement.
Remembering Our Comrades
- Alpha Anne, a cleaner at Great Ormond Street Hospital and father of one, led the campaign that ended outsourcing, bringing over 300 cleaners in-house and challenging institutional racism in a landmark legal case. He did not live to see the appeal heard.
- Emeka, a member at West End Quay and father of two, stood firm through multiple strikes for justice and dignity — a fight that continues in his memory.
May their souls rest in peace.
Looking Ahead
From humble beginnings just 11 years ago, 2025 has shown that when we organise, fight back, and stand together, we can take on the toughest bosses and win, achieving victories many thought impossible.
In 2026, we’ll:
- Expand into new sectors and workplaces
- Support new and diverse communities
- Continue to lead and organise as migrants
- Build stronger campaigns
- Keep putting power back into the hands of workers
Thank you for being part of this union, for your courage and commitment, and for the amazing work you all do.
