“I am a migrant worker with two children, our families are in India and traveling there is not easy. The ticket prices are so high during the children’s school holiday. We can’t leave them here. I haven’t seen my family for three years! We explained all of this, and I was very surprised that their response was “we have to take care of our business, we don’t care”.””

Maclino Rodrigues, UVW member and Harrods night cleaner of eight years.,

UVW members who clean Harrods through the night are fighting back against a new unfair leave policy that severely restricts their ability to take time off to visit their families abroad. 

Introduced suddenly in June, the new policy impacts some over 50 night shift cleaners and limits their holidays to a maximum of two weeks at a time. During Christmas, to one week. The new leave policy is potentially discriminatory as it makes it extremely difficult and costly for the disproportionately migrant workforce to return home to visit their families. 

Harrods, which celebrates its 175 anniversary this year, has dismissed the cleaners’ concerns.

This will be UVW’s fourth campaign at Harrods, following three previous wins for tips and substantial pay rises for waiting and kitchen staff.

meEt the WORKERS:

Maclino Rodrigues, Harrods night cleaner of eight years said: “They say these changes are supposed to provide cover for the peak periods, but we are behind the scenes, the daytime cleaners face the customers. We are working in the restaurant and escalators, we sweep, remove the trash, and make ready for the next day. I feel like they are introducing these changes because they want to get rid of us or reduce staff. We have worked at Harrods for more than a decade, we are many and we are united. They know we know our rights, with new staff, this might not be the case. No-one wants to go on strike, everyone needs to work, we have used up all other options; we have raised it verbally, formally and informally and tried to solve this amicably. They just don’t seem to care, they are reluctant to listen to us, it’s like they have no empathy.”

Agnelo Fernandes, Harrods night cleaner of 10 years said: “They are seeing us one by one and putting pressure on us to cancel our leave. They make up their own rules, there are different rules for those working in distribution and store service.  My wife is worried about the money we will lose if they decline our holidays for this year. If I have to change my tickets and purchase new tickets, I will lose £2,500. We work so hard, if we lose this money which is two months’ salary, it will be difficult to pay the bills. So we are ready, each and every one of us have decided to go out on strike. It’s as if they want us to leave. I don’t have plans to leave, I came here to work.”

Edwin D’Souza, Harrods night cleaner of nine years said: “In nine years I have never been to India over Xmas and now I am going to my niece’s wedding. The manager called me to ask about the three weeks I’d booked for my holiday that he approved in March, and after that he asked me to cancel it. I explained it was my sisters’ daughters’ wedding. He agreed to it and I bought tickets for me and  my three children. Then they introduced the guidelines. The big manager told me I can only go for two weeks, not three weeks. The problem is, to change the tickets it will cost us £700  each. I asked my manager ‘will the company pay this?’ and he said it’s not their problem. When I showed them the tickets, the manager said you have to do me a favour and cancel the leave. I said why don’t you do me a favour. He just shook his head. This made me feel angry.  I am ready to strike.”