School cleaners celebrate historic victory after only two days of planned forty-day strike

By Toby Porter

School cleaners are celebrating after a “historic victory” following a strike which won them full pay sick pay equal to what teachers get.

The staff of prestigious Clapham based La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School called off their action after two days of a planned 40-day strike which would have been “the longest school cleaners strike in UK history”.

The dispute erupted after the cleaners’ hours were cut in the run-up to Christmas and their wages withheld after a month long walk-out in February over Covid-19 health and safety concerns.

Negotiations between the two sides broke down last week after the school rejected cleaners’ demands – and their union, the Unitied Voices of the World (UVW), threatened to take bosses to the High Court over the issue.

The cleaning contract is run by private company Ecocleen [corr], who were threatened by UVW with a judicial Review in the High Court over the school’s decision to deny the cleaners equal sick pay.

Another facet of the action was a claim in the county court and Employment Tribunal against the school’s contractor for “wage theft”.

The UVW also threatened to take management to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The claims related to  “institutional racism” in the Employment Tribunal over unequal terms and conditions between White and BAME workers.

The cleaners have won a backdated London Living Wage, improvements to health and safety, and the return of their “stolen wages”.

Roberto Hernández Díaz, one of the striking workers, said: “I want to thank all the members of UVW for supporting us and helping us to win our fight for the dignified payment and sick pay that all cleaners deserve.

“We should never have had to fight for equality, but we were no longer going to allow ourselves to be treated like the dirt we clean. I feel incredibly proud to belong to this union.”

Magaly Quesada, another striking cleaner, said: “After struggling for so long against La Retraite and Ecocleen for something as basic as a living wage and sick pay, I feel relieved that justice and common sense finally won. I am incredibly grateful to UVW and to all those who supported our struggle.”

Petros Elia, UVW organiser and executive committee member said: “If our members hadn’t been willing to strike they never would have won. I am in awe of their courage and determination and I hope other workers take inspiration from them and start to strike in their workplace too.

“Striking is the only thing that ever has or ever will allow workers to win the dignity, equality and receipt they deserve.”

La Retraite head Dominic Malins said: “The UVW engaged in a campaign of harassment against the school, often citing factually incorrect information.

“During the campaign, they did not direct any of this campaign at Ecocleen, the employer. Staff and governors at our school were extremely affronted by the union’s unjustified and outlandish claims.

“We worked behind the scenes with them to look at improving the pay and conditions of the cleaning staff and agreed a contractual change between La Retraite and Ecocleen that is different from any that is normally offered to a school.

“At the school’s insistence, the cleaners have been paid the London living Wage since January 2021 and also now a sickness entitlement on a parity with La Retraite staff.”

A spokeswoman for Ecocleen said: “While we are pleased that the workers at La Retraite feel their expectations have now been met, we would like to reassure that Ecocleen remains fully committed to safeguarding the health and safety of our employees across all of our sites.

“We plan to remain in close dialogue and consultation with our employees to ensure that we’re able to best support their needs and working conditions going forward.”