Royal cleaners suffer hours and pay cut

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PCS Comment

19 May 2011

One of the private companies that supplies cleaners to royal palaces has cut the hours of some of the workers - despite a campaign supported by thousands of people to improve their pay.

PCS is campaigning for the cleaners to be paid the ‘London living wage’ which has just risen from £7.85 to more than £8.

The workers currently receive just £6.45 an hour to clean up after one of the world’s richest families.

At least three of the part-time workers – employed by KGB Holdings - have had the equivalent of a day’s hours cut.

PCS believes the ultimate responsibility for the cleaners’ welfare rests with the royal household, which receives around £30 million a year from taxpayers.

The campaign for fair wages involved petitioning outside Buckingham Palace in the run up to last month’s Royal Wedding. The cleaners’ story was reported all over the world – from Brazil to Australia.

PCS is continuing to try to negotiate with KGB and Greenzone – another company with Royal cleaning contracts.

Lizzie Woods, the PCS organiser who has been leading the campaign, said: “Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for fair pay for the cleaners.

“The response of KGB – to cut hours and therefore pay is scandalous. PCS will be stepping up the campaign for the living wage.”

Cleaners in parliament already receive the ‘London living wage’ which is backed by the city’s Conservative mayor Boris Johnson.

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