Despite their small numbers, the Mitie cleaners are punching well above their weight. Every Friday at 1pm they gather in front of the offices of Willis insurance brokers in the heart of London’s business district, and with the help of a megaphone kindly donated by the Clerkenwell and St Pancras branch of Unite, they begin their protest. The cleaners and their supporters don flourescent vests, blow whistles and shout slogans demanding the reinstatement of the unfairly sacked cleaners.

After a shout at Willis, they head to HBOS just up the road.

Clients like Willis and HBOS use subcontractor Mitie for building services like cleaning and security. In 2007, a group of cleaners all members of Unite, got organised and fought for a pay rise through the campaign Justice for Cleaners. They eventually won and their wages were increased from £5.75 to £7.45. Then, in what the cleaners see as a bid to punish and separate the activists, including shop steward Edwin Pazmino, the company moved them from day-shifts to night-shifts (from 7-11pm to 10pm-6am), which was almost imposible for those with children. About 17 workers refused to work the new hours. Despite Mitie being one of the largest service provider companies with a myriad of clients, workers and sites, it couldn’t seem to accomodate the remaining handfull of workers who wouldn’t accept the changes in their terms and conditions, so they got the sack.

The cleaners are dedicated to winning their struggle. They have been demonstrating for 9 weeks in a row and have been spreading the word at union branches and public meetings.

Spreading the word

On Sat, April 19 Edwin spoke to a meeting of the Coordinator Latin America, an organisation supported by many Latin American solidarity campaigns such as Hands Off Venezuela. The Mitie workers are linking up with the larger Latin American community on the issue of the exploitation of immigrant workers.

The point was made that despite the fact that this group of British workers are often skilled and highly educated, they end up in low pay jobs like cleaning. They work long hours in order to support their families, and to send money back to relatives in their home countries so many don’t have the time or the resources to learn english as well as they might like. This means they are more exposed to exploitation and criminalization, especially if they don’t have their papers in order in an immigration system laden with bureaucracy, that changes the rules of the game almost every month.

In fact, the number of Mitie cleaners able to continue the fight has been reduced because they have had to find work in order to support their families so don’t have the time to come to meetings and protests.

It was also said at the meeting that immigrants are not here on holiday. They are not here for a free ride. They are here to work because a long history of colonial exploitation by imperialist countries like Britain, have left their home countries ravaged by poverty and unemployment and very little economic opportunity.

A very clear message was imparted during the meeting: that Mitie and other Latin American workers must link with British and other exploited workers.

The meeting pledged their support for the Mitie cleaners and £46 was raised for their cause.

In an act of solidarity, the Mitie workers have visited the picket line at the formerly occupied Visteon car parts factory in Enfield, North London. They plan to go back.

DEMONSTRATION: COME SUPPORT THE MITIE WORKERS

Every Friday at 13.00 hours, the cleaners demonstrate in front of the Willis Building, 51 Lime Street EC3 7DQ (tube: Liverpool Street or Bank).
 
Please come and support, and bring anything visible (banners etc) and anything noisy!

Info: Edwin 07931 464 890 or Alberto 07803 634 319 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Messages of support welcome.

See Mitie Demo video: http://www.socialist.net/cleaners-for-justice.htm

The demonstrations are supported also by Latin American Workers Association, Schroders bank cleaners, London Coalition Against Poverty,  Ecuadorian Movement in the UK (MERU), Colombia and Bolivia Solidarity Campaigns, Hands Off Venezuela and more. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it