Cleaners at Department for Education win pay rise and sick pay after ‘long, hard fight’
Workers who clean and cater for a Government department building have won a pay rise and full sick pay following a lengthy dispute that has lasted more than a year.
The facilities workers at the Department for Education (DfE) Sanctuary Buildings in Great Smith Street, Westminster, have won a pay rise, a one-off bonus of up to £2,500 per worker, full sick pay and more holiday after several rounds of strike action which began in the summer of 2023.
Elizete Ferreira, a DfE cleaner, said: “I’m very, very happy myself because it was a long, hard fight that we, the cleaners, started over a year ago.”
The DfE outsources its cleaning to a private contractor, ISS UK. The contracts are owned by the Government Property Agency (GPA).
The workers are mainly ethnic minority and migrant cleaners, represented by United Voices of the World (UVW), a trade union for low-paid migrant workers.
The cleaners took three days of strike action in June 2023. Union members complained of being overworked, and struggling to make ends meet amidst the cost of living crisis, having been denied the London Living Wage of £13.15 per hour.
In October 2023, ISS UK agreed to increase workers’ pay to the London Living Wage – but this was delayed for eight months, UVW said.
In June, the cleaners took to the picket line once again, this time joined by the building’s caterers, in two days of strike action demanding the contractor pay its workers the wages owed since October 2023.
A planned strike in July 2024 was called off by UVW to allow for negotiations with ISS.
Following negotiations, the workers accepted an offer from the contractors which included a one off bonus equivalent to an eight-month back payment of a pay increase, guaranteed future pay increases, full sick pay and more annual leave.
Gloria Mancera, DfE cleaner and UVW member, said: “We had to go on strike twice, and we were ready for a third, but now we can celebrate that it won’t be necessary.
“All of this was made possible because we stood firm and united with our union, UVW, showing our determination to secure better conditions for everyone.”
Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said the union was “proud” to represent the workers throughout the dispute.
She said: “These brave workers have closed the gap between themselves and the civil servants they serve food to and clean up after by standing up for themselves.
“The only way we will end the structural inequality created by outsourcing is through strike action.
“Wealthy multinationals like ISS make billions off the backs of workers like our members and it takes strikes to get them to get them to cough up.
“Every time DfE workers took strike action their numbers grew and we are organising outsourced workers across government offices now.”
A Government Property Agency (GPA) spokesman said: “These staff members are not directly employed by the government. The external contracts are owned by the GPA, not any specific government
A spokesman for ISS said: “We are pleased to confirm this successful resolution which benefits employees at the site. We look forward to continuing to deliver our vital services to the Department’s staff and visitors.”
Pictured top: Members of the UVW union outside the Department for Education in June (Picture: UVW)