DOZENS of protesters assembled outside auctioneer Sotheby’s head offices yesterday in solidarity with four workers given the boot after taking part in a protest over pay and conditions.

Cleaners and porters Barbara Rocha, Jorge Alcivar Campoverde Canar, Marco Celi and Percy Yunganina were told not to return to work last week.

Sotheby’s facilities contractor Servest told them: “Sotheby’s has instructed us to remove you from their site with effect from July 1 because your involvement in the recent protests was a deliberate act to disrupt Sotheby’s lawful business which may have resulted in a significant loss of revenue and could have put their business at risk.”

Sotheby’s said it reserved the right “to restrict entry to cleaners who are not behaving appropriately.”