Exclusive: Migrant Cleaners Declare Victory After Strikes at Department for Education

Facilities workers who clean up after civil servants have declared victory following a dispute with the Department for Education (DfE) that lasted over a year.

The dispute was over pay and claims that the mostly Black and migrant workers – whose employment is outsourced to a contractor – were treated as “second-class workers” compared to their largely white counterparts who work in-house.

The workers – mainly cleaners – are employed by contractor ISS UK Limited to clean the department’s Sanctuary Buildings headquarters.

Union members 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 and two months of negotiations.

The dispute started in July 2023, when workers organised by the United Voices of the World (UVW) trade union took strike action as part of a mass walk out across several workplaces, demanding dignity. The mostly Black, brown and migrant workers had been hailed as essential during the pandemic, but were hit hard as inflation soared afterwards.

At the DfE, workers complained of being overworked, treated “like rats” and struggling to make ends meet in the cost of living crisis, having been denied the London living wage of £13.15 per hour. They did not receive the same annual leave and sick pay entitlements that in-house staff at the department did.

Workers struck again in June 2024. A further round of planned strike action, which would have included workers from more departments, was suspended to allow negotiations to take place.

Following negotiations, the workers have accepted the offer of a one-off bonus equivalent to an eight-month back payment of a pay increase, amounting to over £2,500 in some cases, guaranteed future pay increases, full sick pay and more annual leave.

One of the cleaners, Elizete Ferreira, said: “Everybody’s happy that we won the backdated payment, a pay rise, sick pay, and more holiday. I’m very, very happy myself because it was a long, hard fight that we, the cleaners, started over a year ago. Thanks to being in the UVW union, more and more workers joined in. It was great that everyone came together, allowing us to be heard and finally put an end to the dispute.”

Another, Gloria Mancera, said: “I am very happy that, after our long struggle, we have finally achieved what we deserve: a pay raise with retroactive effect, sick pay and more vacation days. 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.

“Although we haven’t yet achieved full parity with civil servants, the improvements are substantial, and we are on the path to the equality we’ve fought so hard for.”

Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said: “The only way we will end the structural inequality created by outsourcing is through strike action. 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.

“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.”

Outsourcing is routinely used by employers to wash their hands of the poor pay and conditions endured by their worst-off workers. In cases where outsourced workers are from ethnic minorities, this can amount to indirect discrimination.

When Novara Media reached out for comment, the DfE referred us to the cabinet office which pointed out that these workers are employed by an external contractor.

A spokesperson 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.”