UAL Socialist Students

Circuit Go provides poor-quality and expensive laundry services to many. Profits are up at Circuit Go – over £13 million in 2024.

One of Circuit Go’s parent shareholders – Cinven – was fined £100 million for increasing medicine prices by more than 1,000%. This means that the company that charges us extortionate fees to wash and dry our laundry is effectively owned by a firm that has been fined for price gouging critical drugs used by NHS patients.

How can we trust this company to provide us ‘fair’ prices for laundry services? They are ripping us off!

If we don’t get organised, then our universities will let this private company continue overcharging each of us £100s a year for the poor service they provide. Students are already struggling to make ends meet.

While profiteering companies rake millions every year, ordinary students are expected to pay higher tuition fees, extortionate rents, and rising shopping bills. It can’t go on like this.

‘Circuit No!’ campaign, launched by Socialist Students in London, brings students together. We can organise meetings in all the different university halls to democratically decide the next steps for the campaign. This includes protesting outside Cinven’s headquarters in central London.

Newcastle University, which also has a contract with Circuit Go, provides subsided laundry services at £1.30 per wash on weekdays. If a university can provide subsidised laundry facilities during certain hours at one particular hall, why can’t all universities in Britain, including Newcastle University, immediately provide laundry services at all times for £1 per wash?

We also demand that laundry should be included in rent, and for there to be rent controls. Rents should be set by democratically elected representatives, composed of students and staff. This body could also provide oversight for laundry services, repairs, and maintenance.

This means kicking out these private profiteers from our halls and campuses, and bringing all privatised services back in-house. We call for investment to provide high-quality, safe, and accessible accommodation, including to meet the specific needs of disabled students.

We can win!

Socialist Students also says this is part of a wider national campaign to oppose marketisation of higher education. Students are seen as cash cows – people that private companies can profit from.

That’s why we say kick out the profiteers. Don’t make students pay for the university funding crisis through higher tuition fees and poor service – make the super-rich pay.

We demand:

• Higher-quality, well-maintained laundry facilities, and a suitable number of machines per flat
• An immediate reduction of laundry fees to £1 per wash – not rip-off charges
• Laundry to be included in rent, and rent controls in university accommodation
• Kick out private profiteers, and bring all privatised services back in-house
• No to fee rises, for free, fully funded education – make the super-rich pay

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Help build the campaign

• Sign our petition. Spread the word
• Organise a meeting in your hall
• Come to our London-wide organising meeting – Tuesday 3 February, 7pm. Venue TBC
• Protest the company that owns Circuit Laundry – Wednesday 4 February, 3pm. Where: Cinven Limited, 21 St James’s Square, SW1Y 4JZ. Nearest station: Green Park