‘After months of campaigning together, we have seen important changes and trust that this progress will continue.’
Sesly, school cleaner and uvw member
Migrant cleaners at Ark Globe Academy in South London, members of United Voices of the World (UVW), have won back all outstanding monies owed to them following months of collective campaigning through their union.
The cleaners, employed by subcontractor Atlas Cleaning Limited, had been campaigning over persistent payroll problems, missing payments and their working conditions, as well as demanding restoration of the full London Living Wage.
Their campaign has now resulted in all outstanding monies being paid to workers. A new sick pay form has also been issued.
Sesly, one of the cleaners and UVW member, said: ‘After months of campaigning together, we have seen important changes and trust that this progress will continue.’
These cleaners endured months of payroll errors and a sick pay form that didn’t work, while struggling to get their concerns heard. They should never have had to fight so hard to be paid correctly or access the sick pay they were entitled to. When they were not listened to, they had no choice but to come together and organise through their union, with the support of their local community, councillors and elected representatives.
In June, the workers voted unanimously to take strike action, with every worker who participated in the ballot voting YES.
The cleaners won the London Living Wage in 2020 and had consistently received it over the following 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 had not been implemented.
Atlas Cleaning Limited told UVW that it could not fully implement the 2026 London Living Wage increase because of contractual arrangements with Ark Globe Academy. The school told UVW that it had decided to pause alignment with the Real Living Wage for the financial year due to wider financial pressures across the organisation and education sector.
The cleaners’ campaign has received support from National Education Union (NEU) members, teachers across Southwark, local residents and Green Party councillors.
Receiving the money they were owed is an important step, but this is about more than pay: it is about being treated with dignity and respect, and not being made to feel invisible.
The workers continue to campaign for restoration of the full London Living Wage and trade union recognition for UVW.
Migrant workers who keep our schools running deserve the same respect, security and fair treatment as anyone else. Outsourcing must not mean workers are ignored or left to deal with the consequences of failures by their employer
Their experience is a reminder that workers should not have to organise and campaign for months simply to be heard and treated fairly.