CLEANERS at the Old Bailey escalated their fight against outsourcing plans by launching a full week of strike action today. 

Members of the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union (CAIWU) first walked out on March 7, in a strike supported by unions RMT and PCS, as well as the General Federation of Trade Unions.

The dispute erupted after the cleaners learnt in January that the City of London Corporation had decided to outsource their contracts.

The workers received a letter from OCS Commercial Cleaning Services informing them of the transfer, and they were given the ultimatum to either sign the contracts or walk away.

A CAIWU spokesperson said: “Our members have had no say in this decision, yet they are the ones who will bear the consequences. 

“After being ignored and left in uncertainty, they are taking a stand.”

CAIWU is calling for the immediate reversal of the outsourcing plans, due to be enacted in April.

One CAIWU member said: “I’ve been working for the corporation for 27 years and we all work here as a family. 

“But now what is the corporation doing to us? We’re not happy. That’s why we’re all standing here today. We have to fight for our rights.

“We all have family to look after, we’re all from different countries and we have to work hard for our families back home.” 

Another member said: “Privatisation doesn’t work financially or morally. 

“They just do not care about any of us. Personally, I am so upset. But I’m speaking for each and every one of us: we’re so angry, upset and downtrodden. 

“They should stop this privatisation and stop it before it rots everywhere else.”

CAIWU warns the decision to outsource “ flies in the face” of Labour’s promise to end exploitative outsourcing practices and deepens the divide between directly employed workers and those subjected to insecure, low-paid contract work with fewer protections.

GFTU general secretary Gawain Little said: “Ending outsourcing could be one of the biggest moves we could make in this country to tackle structural inequality in our workplaces.”

“It would be one of the biggest moves to strengthen workers’ rights, and it would be one of the biggest moves to improve the lives of predominantly women workers, black workers and migrant workers.”

A City of London Corporation spokesperson said the transfer would have a “range of benefits, including improved cleaning services and access to industry best practice.

“Cleaning staff and trade unions are being consulted, and TUPE regulations ensure that all employees will retain their current terms and conditions of permanent employment, including salary, working hours, length of service, and holiday entitlements.”