Whitehall cleaners, security guards and support staff announce five-day strike

Cleaners, security guards and support staff working in three major Whitehall departments are to strike for five days after being offered a below-inflation pay rise.  

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members employed by outsourced contractor ISS are angry to have been offered just a 3.5% rise when inflation is running at 6.8%.

Last year ISS made a profit of £73m and ten board members received almost £1m between them.  

Almost PCS 100 members at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Department for Business & Trade and Department for Science, Innovation & Technology will take action from September 4 to 8. 

They are also calling for an end to outsourcing and for ISS to formally recognise the union.  

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “It’s obscene that ISS can afford to pay board members £988,000 – a rise of 8.9% from last year – yet claim they can’t afford to pay cleaners a fair rise.  

  “The government should end outsourcing and bring all contracts back in-house to prevent companies like ISS exploiting taxpayers to make huge profits from the hard work of our members.” 

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