Migrant cleaners win living wage at Mail

Migrant cleaners - like these strikers at LSE - have won a series of struggles on pay in recent years, photo Paula Mitchell (Click to enlarge)

United Voices of the World

A group of migrant cleaners - members of the United Voices of the World union - have won a historic victory at the Daily Mail.

After the threat of an all-out cleaners' strike at the Mail's offices in Kensington, and the prospects of large and lively protests and pickets, our demands have been met. As of 1 April cleaners will all receive the London Living Wage of �10.20 an hour.

Some cleaners have been scrubbing and polishing the Mail's offices for nearly 20 years. They were previously paid only the minimum wage of �7.50 an hour.

It's not migrant workers who suppress wages, it's miserly and unscrupulous employers who take advantage and keep them on the breadline. Perhaps the millionaire editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, will reflect on this before he sits down to sign off on another anti-migrant headline.

Donate to the Socialist Party

Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.