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30.06.2026 / News /

Migrant cleaners at South London school Ark Globe Academy vote for strike action 

“When workers like us have the opportunity to decide collectively, we demonstrate that we can influence our future. This vote is proof that our voice matters and that we are determined to achieve real improvements in our working conditions and wages. We will no longer be invisible.” 

Outsourced migrant cleaners, members of United Voices of the World (UVW), at Ark Globe Academy in South London have voted unanimously to take strike action after months of campaigning to restore the full London Living Wage and address persistent payroll issues. Every worker who participated in the ballot voted YES for industrial action, giving a 100% mandate to strike. The campaign has won support from the local community: National Education Union (NEU) members, teachers across Southwark, and local Green Party councillors. 

The cleaners, employed by subcontractor Atlas Cleaning Limited, won the London Living Wage in 2020 and have consistently received it over the past five years. However, from 1 April 2026 they were given only a partial uplift to £14.27 per hour, marking the first time the full annual increase has not been implemented.  Months of payroll errors and delayed wage corrections have also left many workers struggling to pay rent, bills and other essential living costs. 

Atlas Cleaning Limited has told UVW that it cannot fully implement the 2026 London Living Wage increase because of contractual arrangements with Ark Globe Academy. The school told UVW that it decided “to pause alignment to the Real Living Wage for this financial year” due to wider financial pressures across the organisation and education sector. 

According to publicly available accounts, Ark Chief Executive Lucy Heller received annual remuneration of £216,300, while the school’s outsourced cleaners currently earn £14.27 per hour. 

The cleaners’ campaign has attracted growing support from the local community, including National Education Union (NEU) members, teachers across Southwark, and residents; Green Party councillors have also backed the workers’ call for fair pay and treatment. 

As part of the campaign, letters have been sent calling on Atlas Cleaning Limited and Ark Globe Academy to resolve the dispute by restoring the London Living Wage. The letters were addressed to Tina Alexandrou, Chair of the Ark Schools Board; Lucy Heller, CEO of Ark Schools; Matt Jones, Principal of Ark Globe Academy; and Ed Bolton, Managing Director of Atlas Cleaning Limited. 

A school cleaner and UVW member who wishes to remain anonymous said:  “The result of this vote shows that when we as workers unite, our voice is powerful and capable of driving real change. This vote is much more than an endorsement of a strike: it is a clear message that we have a say in the decisions that affect our working conditions, wages, and the respect we receive on the job. We as cleaning staff are the lowest-paid workers in schools, yet we perform essential work to ensure the safety, health and well-being of the entire school community. When workers like us have the opportunity to decide collectively, we demonstrate that we can influence our future. This vote is proof that our voice matters and that we are determined to achieve real improvements in our working conditions and wages. We will no longer be invisible.” 

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