“We are fighting for our rights, demanding a pay rise to compensate for the escalating cost of living. Everything is so much more expensive now and we can’t have any financial security. We can’t afford our basics when we shop. Bit by bit our wages have stopped making ends meet. That’s why we are fighting, to try and have a decent quality of life.

Carlos Llerena , cleaner and  UVW member

The cleaners at Streatham & Clapham High School (SCHS), an exclusive private school in South London say “BASTA YA” to being treated as second class workers.

The migrant cleaners, UVW members from LAtin America and Philippines, are outsourced to facilities provider Zing on lesser terms and conditions (T&Cs) than those employed directly by the school. The cleaners get more than one weeks less annual leave, they don’t get the same sick pay – they only get the legal minimum – and are denied other benefits too.

The cleaners think this is unfair and discriminatory, and have asked Zing and SCHS to talk to UVW!

Zing and SCHS are refusing:

To negotiate with their chosen trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW) 

To give the cleaners the same benefits as staff directly employed by SCHS

To give the cleaners a pay rise in line with inflation, without which their pay is effectively being cut. 

Zing says SCHS is responsible and vice versa. We say they need to sort that out betwen themselves.

SCHS is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) and according to their last accounts had an income of £230 million. In 2021, this group of 26 schools had 260 employees earning over £60,000 a year and GDST had assets of over £435 million in 2021 according to the Charity Commission filings.

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