United Voices of the World strike at Kensington and Chelsea council 7 August, photo Rob Williams (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
Low-paid cleaners at five different sites in London took coordinated strike action for the London Living Wage and sick pay. The workers in the United Voices of the World union walked out at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Kensington and Chelsea council on 7 August.
The outsourced cleaners argue that the MoJ and the council are responsible for their pay: “The companies always say we can’t change your pay because it is in the contract with the MoJ”, said one.
Another said: “You have to find a way to survive. But £7.83 an hour is not enough. You have to pay rent. You have to pay bills. You have to pay transport.”
United Voices of the World has previously led successful cleaners’ disputes for the living wage plus sick and holiday pay at Sotheby’s, the London School of Economics and the Daily Mail’s offices.
