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03.09.2024 / News / Justice for Cleaners

The fruits of resilience and determination

Workers who stand up to their bosses develop bravery and resilience which helps them win. Our union, United Voices of the World (UVW) exists to help our members stand up to their bosses and build power in their workplaces. This is particularly important for low-paid migrant workers, like the members of our union. They develop tremendous courage when they confront the unfair treatment they experience in the workplace.

UVW members know how long and difficult the fight for justice can be. We stand by our members as they fight on the streets and in the courts. The legal process can be slow and challenging, but we are committed to defending our members and leaving nobody behind, as long as they’re willing to stand up and fight. There can be times when it doesn’t work, but it can also yield victories.

We recently saw the fruits of this resilience and determination. A migrant cleaner and UVW member, who was unfairly dismissed by an outsourced contractor, took on the fight against injustice with the union by their side. While we can’t share the full details, we can reveal that the member was awarded a substantial sum of money, marking a potentially transformative change in their life.

Claire Marcel, head of legal services for UVW, said: “We are very happy to have achieved such a good settlement for our member’s unfair dismissal  claim. Our work in the casework and legal teams involved representing our members at their workplace disciplinary and appeal hearings, collecting evidence, issuing claims to the employment tribunal and negotiating with employers. Starting employment tribunal proceedings definitely gave us leverage, but we would not have received such a prompt outcome without the solidarity shown by our members and the community.”

This victory is more than just a payout; it’s an example of our vision in action: a future where low-paid, precarious, and migrant workers in the UK have power at work, enjoy proper pay and conditions, and are treated with dignity, equality, and respect.

The outcome illustrates the importance of unions standing for vulnerable workers, particularly migrants who often face precarious employment conditions. Our mission is to build power and solidarity in workplaces and communities through collective, legal, and direct action. This win serves as a reminder that, even in the toughest battles, with UVW’s support, our members are never alone, and together, we can get justice.

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