< News

12.11.2024 / News / Battersea Power Station / Justice for Cleaners

“We want to have a voice”:  Battersea Power Station migrant cleaners demand fair wages and union recognition   

 “We are getting organised with our union, so we can negotiate collectively for fair treatment and respect. We want to have a voice, and to be able to say: we’re here too, and we have rights.”

Carlos Vásquez Ortiz, Colombian cleaner and UVW member

After years of relentless overwork and staff shortages, under a series of cleaning contractors, the cleaners at Battersea Power Station—one of London’s most iconic landmarks—are demanding change. The recent takeover by OCS is seen as an opportunity to start afresh, and the workers, many of them migrants, are calling for official union recognition in a joint effort by United Voices of the World (UVW) and GMB unions. Their demands include better pay, improved working conditions and an end to the chronic issues that have left them exhausted and feeling undervalued for years.

Among these workers are Carlos and Gloria, Colombian cleaners who have spent three and a half years tirelessly maintaining Battersea’s grandeur. Until now, these workers lacked union representation. But things are changing: Carlos, Gloria and their colleagues are now organising as members of UVW.

Gloria explains: “In just three years, there have been four managers and frequent changes in cleaning contracts (with OSC recently taking over from JPC Samsic in November). Throughout this period, staff shortages and unfilled vacancies have caused significant work overload. Holiday shifts went uncovered, forcing us to take on double or triple workloads within our contracted hours. Often, we’d have to clean multiple buildings in one shift, starting from scratch in each, all while dealing with faulty equipment and limited cleaning supplies. The relentless demands left many of us exhausted, ill and burnt out. To make matters worse, sick pay is limited to statutory payments, with no extra remuneration or recognition for the additional effort. It felt like an abuse of power and we knew things had to change.”

There’s also the feeling that their contribution to the millionaire success of Battersea Power Station is not being recognised. In the words of Simon Murphy, CEO at Battersea Power Station Development Company has boasted of sales in excess of £1 billion. OCS, the cleaners’ direct employer, reportedly had a revenue of £1.7 billion in 2023 and hopes to double this within five years. OCS took over the contract in November.  

Carlos reflects: “We, the cleaners, work really hard to make this place the commercial success that it is – we maintain the place really clean and proper so it has a great image and reputation- so it is only fair that we are rewarded just as all others involved are. £15 an hour is a reasonable adjustment which would go a long way to help us cleaners in low wages cope with the cost of living and have a decent, and dignified relationship with our workplace.” 

Gloria adds: “Working at a prestigious place like Battersea Power Station, known for its luxury, we deserve better than substandard conditions. Alongside UVW and GMB unions, we’re fighting for fair treatment and improved rights for everyone. Since joining, things have improved because we are learning about our rights and our employers’ obligations. For instance, we discovered that bosses must respond to holiday requests within a set time, and now we can plan our lives better without waiting endlessly for answers that don’t come. It was torture, sometimes we even lost our plane tickets.” 

“Initially, we felt targeted as management [prior to OCS] conducted ‘investigations’ over supposed low standards, which were actually caused by poor planning and lack of resources. I felt blamed unfairly, even after developing a wrist condition from overwork. This was the last straw. I lost my fear, joined the union, and started encouraging colleagues to do the same. Now, we’re organised, stronger and advocating for fair treatment through collective demands. We are no longer afraid to ask for what’s fair and have officially submitted our demands in writing. Pressure to overwork has eased, and we hope the new OCS management will recognise the union and address our concerns,” Gloria says.

In addition to fair pay, the cleaners are demanding a proper sick pay scheme, as the current statutory sick pay means they receive nothing for the first four days of illness and only £109 per week thereafter. “We can’t afford to be ill. It’s not enough to live on,” Gloria points out. 

The demands are not only about pay but also about respect and dignity. Carlos explains that one of the most humiliating changes came when their 15-minute breakfast break was cut. They’re asking for a 30-minute paid breakfast break, an essential concession for workers with long, exhausting shifts. Carlos’s lunch break can’t start till 1pm! “The conditions we face every day are difficult. Over 100 people are using a tiny kitchenette with just three microwaves, all at the same time. It’s chaos! Our changing area is small and often dirty because there’s no one assigned to clean the space. It’s things like this we want to change too, to create a safer and more respectful workplace,” Carlos says.

“We hope they will listen to our reasonable demands and be recognised as a union – Gloria says – and that we won’t have to take any further measures, including balloting for strike, but if we have to, we will.”

This is just the beginning. With UVW and GMB behind them, the workers now have a powerful, unified voice: “Now we can negotiate collectively for fair treatment and respect”, Carlos says. “We want to have a voice, and to be able to say: we’re here too, and we have rights.”

Join UVW here >>

SHARE