CLEANERS at multinational finance group Bloomberg are holding discussions with management today following their vibrant half-day strike outside the company’s London offices.

The original three-day strike was temporarily suspended yesterday afternoon after bosses agreed to meet and discuss the introduction of sick pay.

Bloomberg — whose CEO is former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg — generated annual revenue of $8.3 billion (£5.4bn) in 2013, but its London cleaners have had to fight tooth and nail for their basic rights.

Pantry cleaner Hanna Abebe explained how, despite suffering a miscarriage last year, she returned to work straight away as she couldn’t afford unpaid time off.

“They allowed me to go on leave but my condition was that if I go they are not going to pay me,” she told the Morning Star on the picket line.

“I didn’t have money to survive and I had to come back.”

Despite having been transferred to a less physically demanding cleaning shift Ms Abebe still suffers from extreme pain and was eventually made to take the last two months off.

Mirabel Miranda, who worked for Bloomberg for almost five years, now leads the International Workers Union cleaners’ branch at the negotiation table.

“We held this strike because we have many points about our health and our bosses,” Ms Miranda said.

“It’s very hard because it’s three buildings. All times are busy, this building is busy 24 hours.”

“We want recognition, we work very hard.”

“Just because we are cleaners, we are not rubbish, we are people.”

Bloomberg cleaning staff lead a fierce campaign last year for longer aggregated holiday leave and the living wage which they won in November.
joanaramiro@peoples-press.com