On Guardian website today: Cleaners at prestigious UK girls’ school [JAGS] vote to strike over cut in hours

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

On 05/08/2024 at 09:43, Penguin68 said:

It is quite unlikely that JAGS is able to alter the fee scales or terms of employment paid to employees of a different company...

It's common practice for clients (like JAGS) procuring services in sectors where there's a high risk of worker exploitation (like cleaning services) to require vendors to pay their workers the (real) living wage. This has been around for years in the private and public sectors.

The Living Wage Foundation and Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority websites have plenty of information about this subject for people that would like to become better informed...including JAGS? 

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/battersea-workers-to-get-london-living-wage

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2014/09/22/canary-wharf-contractors-sign-london-living-wage-deal/

https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/tfl-and-living-wage-0

https://livingwage.org.uk/news/real-living-wage-increases-£12-uk-and-£1315-london

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

JAGS's subcontractor has not solved its labour dispute with the cleaners that work at JAGS. As a result, the union says that the cleaners will be on strike for 2 September, 3 September and 5 September.

Embarrassing for JAGS. I hope a fair pay deal between the cleaners and their employers can be agreed, the term can start as normal, and no-one has to miss out on income due to strikes.

 

[malumbu]

Interesting, if I expect selective, article from the Guardian about the abuse of cleaners working for the outsourcing firms.  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/03/the-cleaner-sacked-for-eating-a-tuna-sandwich

I wonder why the anti immigrant parties don't campaign against bringing in labour from South America to keep our offices clean at the lowest cost.  Hmm is that because their members and those with similar  views don't want to do low paid manual work?

[jazzer]

Unfortunately, it seems some of the resident population don't want to do some of the jobs Iwork) which is required to keep businesses and institutions operational, and that includes cleaning services. So which ever way you look at it, UK PLC requires people to do those jobs, from whichever part of the globe they may happen to come from. These people may well have other skills and attributes to do other other roles now or in the future, whatever those may be.  

[malumbu]

I never thought that I'd be taking a more 'Reform' view on this but with 1.4 million unemployed why do we not have the workforce?  Didn't Brexit promise us prosperity for all and high skilled jobs?  To return to my centre left politics rather than increase the pay and upskill the jobs (I am sure with some creativity the latter can be done) we just drive costs and pay down. 

Yes of course many of the unemployed who can work don't live in the right area, certainly couldn't afford to live in London (the office cleaners I used to chat with all lived outer boroughs and had two jobs), and it is not a job that can be done remotely.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

1 hour ago, jazzer said:

Unfortunately, it seems some of the resident population don't want to do some of the jobs Iwork) which is required to keep businesses and institutions operational

It seems some of the resident employers don't want to pay a living wage for the jobs that are required to keep businesses and institutions operational.

The cleaners of JAGS are being told to accept an hourly rate of £11.55. Their employer actually cut the hourly rate from £13.15 after the cleaners voted to strike. This is nuts. It is shameful. How are people supposed to live in London on 11p above the legal minimum wage?

People are entitled to fair pay for fair work no matter where they are from.

https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/en/press-releases/2024/07/prestigious-24000-a-year-private-school-jags-cuts-cleaners-pay-by-12-after-strike-vote/

[jazzer]

No excuse to reduce the rate from £13.15 to £11.55, if that is the case then they have gone on strike to protest about this reduction.

It appears for those on minimum wage, part two jobs equate to one full time job, not fair but that's where we are now, how that changes, I really don't know.  

At least The Guardian and on here gets them some publicity about their situation, which has to be a good thing. 

Edited August 21 by jazzer

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

1 hour ago, jazzer said:

No excuse to reduce the rate from £13.15 to £11.55, if that is the case then they have gone on strike to protest about this reduction.

Unbelievably, the employer unilaterally cut their hourly rate after the cleaners at JAGS voted to strike. The union representing the cleaners at JAGS says that action is illegal, and they will take it to the courts.

[Penguin68]

This smacks of US strike-breaking methods. I wonder who is advising the outsourcing company? Is it American?

[pikeyed]

Cleaners at prestigious UK girls’ school win dispute over pay and conditions | Private schools | The Guardian

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

That is fantastic news! Congratulations to the workers for bravely sticking up for their rights and congratulations to the United Voices of the World union! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Paying the London Living Wage is only fair. We can't end up with London being so unaffordable that the people who keep it running can't live here!