CLEANERS at Big Four accounting firm Ernst & Young’s (EY) London offices are being balloted for strike action over threatened redundancies, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said today.

Sixty-five cleaners contracted out through outsourcing company ISS were told last month that cleaning services for three offices in London would be “restructured,” resulting in redundancies.

The union said these redundancies will put extra strain on an already stretched workforce and result in a significant increase in stress among the remaining cleaners as well as poorer cleaning provision.

It added that the meagre “cost effectiveness” savings would be made off the backs of some of Britain’s most vulnerable workers — and by companies which made $31 billion (£21.8bn, EY) and $13bn (£9.1bn, ISS) in revenues last year.

ISS has denied the cleaners’ union representation in the redundancy process, asking them to choose representatives neither trained nor prepared for redundancy negotiations.

The IWGB has accused ISS of “trying to intimidate our members” with letters reminding staff not to post “content that may have a negative impact on ISS” online.

Yesterday evening, a surprise protest at EY offices at London Bridge prompted an evacuation of the building. IWGB president Henry Chango Lopez told the Star that “someone pressed the alarm to get us out.”

He added: “Workers who work [at EY] have been very supportive, saying that they didn’t know about this and they support the cause of the workers.”

EY declined to comment and referred the matter to ISS. ISS had not responded to a request for comment as the Star went to press.