‘It’s an abuse’: Migrant workers at private prep school protest over low pay

Cleaners at a private prep school gathered together in the rain this morning to protest against contract disparity, pay and sick leave.

Migrant cleaners took to the street outside Blackheath Prep school in St Germans Place, Blackheath to raise awareness of their working conditions.

The cleaners are balloting to take strike action for a London Living Wage and sick leave parity with directly employed staff. Ballot results are expected on Tuesday.

Speaking from the protest, one of the cleaners, Rosa Behesos, 57, from Charlton, said: “This job is difficult, it’s the worst.

“Every day I clean 35 toilets and 35 sinks outside, I mop the floors and replace the hand towels and soap and they put me under pressure to get it finished so fast.

“I finish the day broken, it is too much work – I am bent over in pain when I wake up in the morning.”

The cleaners are paid £11.44 an hour, they are demanding an increase in pay to meet the London Living Wage of £13.15 as well as a right to bank holidays.

Ms Behesos, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, has worked at the school for more than two years.

She said: “The pay is so bad. This is an expensive city and I can’t even afford to buy meat with my wages.”

All the workers balloting for strike action are migrants, the majority are from Latin America and they have been organised by United Voices of the World, a trade union for low-paid migrant workers.

The union said it has tried to negotiate with Westgate Cleaning Services (WCS), but the contractor is “refusing to listen”.

WCS took over as the school’s cleaning contractor from NuServe in summer last year. This means cleaners at Blackheath Prep who have joined the school since the transfer are employed under a different contract.

A UVU representative said: “The new workers don’t have the same protections – half of the workers get paid all year round whereas the other half only get paid for the hours they work – during the summer and long breaks they get no pay.

“One of our demands is contract parity – they are all doing the same work so they should be treated equally. Companies like this come in and try to reduce the working conditions to make more money and it is not fair.”

Another cleaner, Santa Perez, 34, from Lewisham, said the pay and working conditions have taken a toll on her family.

Ms Perez, said: “I am a single mum of four children, it is extremely difficult to raise my children on £600 a month.

“It’s hard on the kids, I can’t afford to send them on school trips – I have to choose between that or buying food.

Ms Perez moved to the UK from the Dominican Republic three years ago. She said: “The UK has welcomed me but the school has not.

“It’s an abuse – it’s a private school which handles a lot of money and they are paying workers poverty wages.”

Blackheath Prep is a private prep school and nursery. Fees at the school are set at £3,520 for reception to Year 2 and £5,975 for Years 3 to 6x. Parents must also pay an additional, non-refundable deposit of £1,500 and a registration fee of £150.

Another cleaner, Elizabeth Arias, 51, from Forest Hill said she is having to work multiple jobs just to afford her rent.

She said: “It’s awful, at the end of each month I am counting the pennies – I have no choice but to stay because I need the work.”

A spokesman from WCS said: “We are in active discussions with our cleaning team at Blackheath Prep who are currently balloting for strike action.

“The work they do is highly valued and we are working hard to reach an agreement about their terms and conditions.  An improved offer was made earlier this week and we hope that negotiations will continue next week.”

A spokeswoman from Blackheath Prep said: “We know Westgate Cleaning are working hard to resolve these matters and that an improved pay offer has recently been made, which we very much welcome.

“We will work constructively with all parties to find a resolution as quickly as possible which will benefit the cleaners at the school.”

Pictured top: UVW members outside Blackheath Prep school this morning (Picture: UVW)