Cleaners Fast for Justice outside Royal Bank of Scotland. Call for Support
Justice for Cleaners | 07.12.2006 13:33 | Migration | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | London
Starting Monday 11th Dec, a group of cleaners from the TGWU Justice for Cleaners campaign will be spending several days without food, sitting outside the headquarters of one of UK's richest banks, demanding a fair deal.
Golden Vacuum Cleaner delivered to companies that suck their cleaners dry.
STOP PRESS: FAST CANCELLED, SEE HERE
The cleaners have signed the following pledge, and more are joining as we speak:
Dear Friends and Supporters
Support the RBS Fast
We are five cleaners working in the City of London and Canary Wharf. For 16 months we have been part of the struggle for a living wage for cleaners across the capital. Cleaners work so hard but for very little in return; often no sick pay and no basic holiday pay and many companies will not work with the cleaners and our Union to help us overcome this poverty.
This week one of the major banks cleaned by our brothers and sisters - RBS – announced £9 Billion in profits. They can afford to treat their cleaners with dignity but do not. And they employ a contract cleaning company, Lancaster who has refused to recognize our Union or work with us to achieve a living wage for cleaners.
Now we have had enough. After much thought we have decided that next week we will fast for justice. We will refuse food starting Monday morning to draw attention to the plight of London cleaners.
In a few weeks time it will be Christmas, a time for families and celebration. But not for us and those we care for. City bosses may be celebrating billions of pounds in bonuses but we will be struggling to make ends meet.
Next week we will fast and we will continue to highlight the banks and some cleaning companies refusal accept their duty to their employees.
We are proud to fight for justice for cleaners. We are certain our fight is a just one. We are fully prepared to fast for justice for all cleaners.
This has been a long struggle. Than you for your support – we hope that we can count on your continued backing as we take this measure.
Thank you,
-----
The Fast for Justice will start on Monday 11th with a public act at 1pm. The same evening there will be other events to be confirmed. We hope to follow a similar schedule every day: afternoon high profile event, followed by a more grassroots social evening from 5pm. The fast will be reviewed on Wednesday evening, but the campaign will continue in any case.
The exact location is under negotiation, but will be somewhere in Bishopsgate, near Liverpool Street Station.
We welcome supporters at any time, and we are actively looking for help with battery powered film projections, poetry, pantomime, accoustic music, and other activities to keep spirits. Festival style tat is also needed: rugs, chairs, environmentally-killing patio heaters, etc. Just make sure to ckeck first with organisers, it's not a dump and we will have limited space with all the private zones!
We welcome people from all political backgrounds, but there is a ban on trying to sell leftie newspapers to the cleaners. You are welcome to leave a couple of copies for the temporary library. Anyone -- green, red, black, or city worker type-- endangering potentially vulnerable migrant cleaners with their behaviour will be swiftly dealt with (non violently of course ;-).
Come along!
To find out more or get involved contact Union Organiser Javier Ruiz on 07900 160 851
jruiz@tgwu.org.uk
The cleaners have signed the following pledge, and more are joining as we speak:
Dear Friends and Supporters
Support the RBS Fast
We are five cleaners working in the City of London and Canary Wharf. For 16 months we have been part of the struggle for a living wage for cleaners across the capital. Cleaners work so hard but for very little in return; often no sick pay and no basic holiday pay and many companies will not work with the cleaners and our Union to help us overcome this poverty.
This week one of the major banks cleaned by our brothers and sisters - RBS – announced £9 Billion in profits. They can afford to treat their cleaners with dignity but do not. And they employ a contract cleaning company, Lancaster who has refused to recognize our Union or work with us to achieve a living wage for cleaners.
Now we have had enough. After much thought we have decided that next week we will fast for justice. We will refuse food starting Monday morning to draw attention to the plight of London cleaners.
In a few weeks time it will be Christmas, a time for families and celebration. But not for us and those we care for. City bosses may be celebrating billions of pounds in bonuses but we will be struggling to make ends meet.
Next week we will fast and we will continue to highlight the banks and some cleaning companies refusal accept their duty to their employees.
We are proud to fight for justice for cleaners. We are certain our fight is a just one. We are fully prepared to fast for justice for all cleaners.
This has been a long struggle. Than you for your support – we hope that we can count on your continued backing as we take this measure.
Thank you,
-----
The Fast for Justice will start on Monday 11th with a public act at 1pm. The same evening there will be other events to be confirmed. We hope to follow a similar schedule every day: afternoon high profile event, followed by a more grassroots social evening from 5pm. The fast will be reviewed on Wednesday evening, but the campaign will continue in any case.
The exact location is under negotiation, but will be somewhere in Bishopsgate, near Liverpool Street Station.
We welcome supporters at any time, and we are actively looking for help with battery powered film projections, poetry, pantomime, accoustic music, and other activities to keep spirits. Festival style tat is also needed: rugs, chairs, environmentally-killing patio heaters, etc. Just make sure to ckeck first with organisers, it's not a dump and we will have limited space with all the private zones!
We welcome people from all political backgrounds, but there is a ban on trying to sell leftie newspapers to the cleaners. You are welcome to leave a couple of copies for the temporary library. Anyone -- green, red, black, or city worker type-- endangering potentially vulnerable migrant cleaners with their behaviour will be swiftly dealt with (non violently of course ;-).
Come along!
To find out more or get involved contact Union Organiser Javier Ruiz on 07900 160 851
jruiz@tgwu.org.uk
Justice for Cleaners
Additions
More things you can do
07.12.2006 13:40
Royal Bank of Scotland recently reported £9 billion profits in just
one year. With that kind of money, you'd have thought they could
afford to hire a cleaning company that pays fair wages, holiday pay,
sick pay and recognises union rights. But they insist on contracting
out to Lancaster, a firm who refuse to negotiate for higher wages.
Please e-mail Sir Fred Goodwin, the CEO of RBS at
mediarelations@rbs.co.uk . Tell him:
* Paying vital workers poverty wages while taking million pound
bonuses is unacceptable.
* If Lancaster refuse to sign an agreement with the T&G, RBS should
drop their contract with immediate effect.
* If you are an RBS customer, threaten to move your account unless
Lancaster sign/RBS sack Lancaster.
one year. With that kind of money, you'd have thought they could
afford to hire a cleaning company that pays fair wages, holiday pay,
sick pay and recognises union rights. But they insist on contracting
out to Lancaster, a firm who refuse to negotiate for higher wages.
Please e-mail Sir Fred Goodwin, the CEO of RBS at
mediarelations@rbs.co.uk . Tell him: * Paying vital workers poverty wages while taking million pound
bonuses is unacceptable.
* If Lancaster refuse to sign an agreement with the T&G, RBS should
drop their contract with immediate effect.
* If you are an RBS customer, threaten to move your account unless
Lancaster sign/RBS sack Lancaster.
Justice for Cleaners
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
Something else you could do...
07.12.2006 20:28
"If using checks, please write them to: The Independent Media Centre (IMC) UK. In the UK, cheques or cash can be paid in over the counter at all branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland at no charge."
That is very nice of MI5's preferred bank to cash Indymedia donations freely. How creditable of them, what nice people they must be.
So is this story going to force a long overdue bank account change from Indymedia ?
scot
Welcome to the bottom rung on the poverty ladder
07.12.2006 21:41
Job Title CAR PARK MARSHALL BCH/6658
LocationNATIONWIDE
Hours22 HOURS, FRI 22 & SAT 23 WEEK,BETWEEN 7.30AM-7.30M
Wage £5.50 PER HOUR
Work PatternDays , Evenings , Weekends
EmployerRedway Resourcing
PensionNo details held
DurationTEMPORARY ONLY
Description
No experience required, must be reliable. Duties include guiding cars in and out of Christmas car parks, ensuring the safety of cars and pedestrians. High visibility jackets provided. Positions available throughout the country. Possibility of further work in the New Year.
Applicant to speak to an advisor and for jobcentre advisor to take names and details and fax over to employer. No phone calls.
How to apply
You can apply for this job by telephoning 0117 9245466 and asking for Steph Walker.
If you are looking for work, Tax Credits could top up your earnings
This vacancy meets the requirements of the National Minimum Wage Act
Greenman
Homepage:
http://www.green-culture.blogspot.com
Spanish
08.12.2006 12:00
Para saber el punto exacto y para mas informacion en general llame a Javier Ruiz al 07900 160851.
El proposito es llamar la atencion al pesimo pago y condiciones laborales de los cleaners en Londres que limpian las empresas y bacnos financieros mas ricos del mundo. En particular la huelga se dirige a la empresa Lancaster al no querer sentarse a negociar el pago y condiciones de todos sus cleaners en Londres. A cambio ISS ya accedio a esta demanda despues del incremento de las protestas en las ultimas dos semanas. Llama la atencion que uno de los principales clientes de Lancaster el Royal Bank of Scotland acaba de anunciar ganancias de 9 mil millones de libras!
Se buscan grupos culturales, musicales etc que pueden animar a los huelguistas.
Cada dia habra un evento en el dia y despues una 'tarde social'. El miercoles se hara un balance de la huelga pero la campana seguira de alguna forma u otra.
Latin American Workers' Association
c/o T&G, 218 Green Lanes, London N4 2BR
tel: 020 8800 4281
J4C
Bangladeshi sweatshop labourers paid just 3p an hour
08.12.2006 18:17
full article here:
solidarity
greenman
Fast cancelled, come to the other actions.
08.12.2006 23:24
Hi everyone
Lancaster have signed! This is because of all your hard work and support so a big thank you to everyone. Obviously there is no longer a need to fast outside Lancaster-cleaned RBS, but the campaign is not over. We need to make sure every company signs up to the agreement and we will move straight on to the next contractors. We still need your help! Please meet at 12:30 on Monday at Transport House, 128 Theobalds Road, nr Holborn Station.
Please distribute this news widely. It's important everyone knows why the fast will no longer be taking place and what action replaces it. We need to keep building to make sure ALL cleaners in London receive a living wage, holiday/sick pay, pension and union rights, regardless of which company they work for.
in solidarity
Justice for Cleaners
----------
After the victory on ISS due to the occupation of Goldman Sachs last week, this means that the two largest cleaning companies in the city of London are now going to treat their workers right.
There are however many other workplaces where cleaners are paid a pittance and abused because they are migrants. The fast is not needed now, but there will be other actions. We still need your help.
Justice for Cleaners
claening for global slave traders
12.12.2006 11:05
ex cleaner