UK: Migrant cleaners employed by ISS at Govt. Department of Education strike over pay, denial of sick leave & other labour rights violations; incl. co comment
In my 18 years as a cleaner at DfE I’ve never experienced such terrible treatment. “No sick pay, too much work, no proper holiday cover. We are treated with disdain, and we are fed up and stressed but united in our resolve. We can’t wait for our ballot papers.Outsourced cleaner at UK Govt. Department of Education
In April 2024, The Independent reported migrant cleaners employed by ISS to work at the UK’s Department for Education were threatening strike action over poor working conditions. In June 2024, London News Online reported the workers came together to strike. The workers are represented by United Voices of the World union.
Workers allege several labour rights abuses, including denial of sick leave, verbal abuse from management, and unpaid wages owed since October 2023. The workers allege they are treated differently from civil servants directly employed by the Department of Education. The earlier article by The Independent says black workers are treated differently from predominantly white colleagues. Workers also highlight how low pay leaves them struggling to afford basic living costs amid the cost-of-living crises.
ISS UK told journalists, "While we are disappointed that this industrial action has gone ahead, we value the contribution of every ISS team member. That’s why we’ve already committed to keeping pay for these employees in line with the London Living Wage, which included a circa 10% uplift in pay which went into effect on May 1.”
The system of outsourcing allows companies to offer inferior terms and conditions for the outsourced cleaner workforce, which happens to be made up mostly of workers from ethnic minority and migrant backgrounds because of matters of historical structural racism.United Voices of The World union spokesperson