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14.04.2026 / News / Amazon / Justice for Cleaners

Fired over a juice carton: Migrant cleaner takes on Amazon after summary dismissal 

“I want my job back. I want my name cleared, because they have completely tarnished it.” 

Tobeida, former Amazon cleaner

A 60-year-old migrant cleaner who worked at Amazon’s Belvedere warehouse in southeast London has been sacked after an incident involving a damaged carton of juice that had been placed for disposal. Backed by UVW, she is now taking both Amazon and its cleaning contractor TCFM to the Employment Tribunal for race discrimination.  

With over seven years of spotless service,  Tobaida who hails from Latin America, was accused of theft and dismissed on the spot — without notice. 

“I didn’t steal anything,” she says. “I thought I was doing my job.” 

As part of her role, she was responsible for removing damaged items from the discard area. The carton had already been set aside as waste. It never left the site. Yet her presence near the goods was described as “unusual” and the incident was escalated to gross misconduct. 

Backed by UVW, she is now taking both Amazon and its cleaning contractor TCFM to the Employment Tribunal. We believe that the decision to report her and seek her removal was driven by prejudice against migrant workers, in breach of the Equality Act 2010. 

Sacking a 60-year-old cleaner over a damaged carton of juice is not just disproportionate — it exposes how outsourced, low-paid migrant cleaners are too often treated as invisible and disposable. These are the workers who keep workplaces safe and running every day, yet they are treated as expendable, just like the damaged goods they are asked to clear away. 

“They don’t seem to see us as equals,” she explains. “Maybe because we don’t speak English fluently, you’d think we are invisible to them. But we are valuable.” 

This case raises serious concerns about how older and migrant workers are treated, particularly in outsourced roles where protections are often weaker. Research in the UK has consistently shown that workers from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to face disproportionately harsh disciplinary action, and that older workers are more vulnerable to bias. (Facilitate Magazine, 2025; Institute for Employment Studies, 2024) 

It also raises questions about the treatment of workers who have organised. She is the last remaining participant from a 2023 UVW cleaners’ strike at the site against poverty pay — highlighting concerns about retaliation against unionised workers. 

UVW is taking this case forward not just because she deserves justice, but because employers must be held accountable for how they treat the workers who keep their sites running. 

“We are valuable. Without us cleaning their rubbish, nothing would work,” she says. “There would be disease and pollution.” 

We won’t stop until justice is done. ✊ 

Support Tobeida’s legal fund. Donate here >>  

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