
Tag: cleaners


Report: ‘Hasta La Victoria!’ University of London Cleaners Win Ten-Year Battle Against Outsourcing
by Polly Bindman
Cleaners at the University of London have won staff contracts after nearly a decade of struggle, in a major victory against outsourcing that could help other workers fight for their rights. Polly Bindman reports.

Opinion: Big Unions Aren’t Up to the Job Anymore
by Lydia Hughes
Unions have a crucial role to play in determining who benefits from changes to the nature of work. But many established unions are already struggling to keep up, writes Lydia Hughes, leaving smaller, newer unions to try to meet the changing needs of modern workers.

Opinion: Filth: Coronavirus Has Shown That Cleaners Are Essential, but Labelling Them ‘Low-Skilled’ Legitimises Exploitation
by Eleanor Penny
A crisis always reveals. While pandemic society has effortlessly withstood the temporary absence of hedge fund managers, cleaners have been billeted to the frontlines, their work suddenly and mysteriously ‘essential’. In part four of her series, Filth, Eleanor Penny explores how labelling work 'low-skilled' rubber-stamps a vicious cycle of low pay, precarious contracts and hyper-exploitation.

Report: Cleaners Are Having to Fight for Their Own Protection in the Fight Against Covid-19
by Joe Hayns
Poorly equipped, lumped with poor working conditions and facing ever-greater occupational dangers, cleaners are simultaneously at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus and among those who stand to be worst affected by its social consequences, writes Joe Hayns.

‘How will I feed my son?’: The Government Workers Fighting Back Against Poverty Pay
by Nathan Akehurst
In the heart of one of the world’s oldest and richest democracies, the staff keeping UK government offices functional are forced to turn to food banks. Now, they are fighting back and calling for a living wage.

Why the Pension Dispute Should Be of Concern to All University Workers
by UoL Worker
As tens of thousands of lecturers and other university staff across the country begin striking in protest against changes to their pensions, an anonymous University of London worker lays out the intricacies of the situation impacting workers in the capital.

The Sound of Neoliberalism: Cost-cutting Falls on Cleaners at Royal College of Music
by Miranda Hall and Robbie Warin
The Royal College of Music wanted to reduce their costs. Their solution? Work their cleaners harder for less money. Now though, the cleaners are fighting back.

‘We need everyone who can to unite with us’: Fighting Outsourcing at the University of London
by Joe Hayns
On Thursday outsourced staff at the University of London will be going on strike to demand they be brought back in-house. Joe Hayns spoke to workers and IWGB activists about how their campaign has grown and developed over the past year.

Serco vs Staff: Why Barts Health Cleaners Are Voting to Strike
by Cam Stocks
Last year Barts Health NHS Trust awarded a £600m ten-year cleaning, portering and security contract to outsourcer Serco. But due to unmanageable workloads, poor pay and inadequate resources, hospital staff are now voting on taking strike action.

What Do University Cleaners and Lecturers Have in Common? A Short History
by Laura Schwartz
As the LSE cleaners' strike continues, Laura Schwartz argues the university management's intransigence is about averting a victory which will benefit all higher education workers.

5 Things You Need to Know About the LSE Cleaners’ Struggle
by Joe Hayns
Organising through a grassroots union, cleaners at the London School of Economics have declared a formal dispute with their employer to secure a living wage, sick pay, holidays, and maternity and paternity leave.