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Parliament cleaners go on strike.

Guido | 20.07.2005 23:22 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | London

When you consider how badly Parliament has shafted the rest of us it’s hardly surprising that they treat their own cleaners like dirt as well. The T&G Trade union today organised a 1 day strike and protest over the conditions experienced by the agency staff who clean Tony Blair’s toilet.

Not an unreasonable request when you consider how much MPs earn.
Not an unreasonable request when you consider how much MPs earn.

Thrilled to be cleaning the coridors of power for shit money.
Thrilled to be cleaning the coridors of power for shit money.

Walter has worked there for 9 years. Still a 'temp', no rights at all.
Walter has worked there for 9 years. Still a 'temp', no rights at all.

The cleaners united.
The cleaners united.


Parliament’s cleaners earn well under the basic wage for someone living in London. They get no sick pay. They get no holiday pay. They are considered temporary and therefore expendable no matter how long they have worked there. They get no pension.

An MP gets up to 60 days sick pay a year. MPs have just awarded themselves a 20% pay rise, that’s before all the perks, expenses and directorships. MPs get an automatic life pension after 10 years service. MPs get automatic holiday pay. MPs do not have to get up at 4 in the morning to travel for an hour on crap public transport to then spend 8 hours cleaning up after people who fuck up everyone’s life for huge amounts of money.

Enough said. All power to the cleaners!

Guido
- e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

Comments

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Cleaner Support

21.07.2005 09:40

Cheers for posting this Guido.

Are the striking cleaners making any requests for support? If so, in what form could that support take?

Sean

fair enough

21.07.2005 12:15

can't they clean all those turds off the chairs? i'd pay them myself if they could manage that.

goose