Advertisement
Activism

Cleaners to protest outside Downing Street after Sue Gray revelations of ‘repugnant’ treatment

Boris Johnson has apologised after the Partygate report found “multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff”.

Cleaners and security guards are planning to protest outside Downing Street on Friday after Sue Gray’s report exposed “repugnant” treatment of staff in Number 10.

They will gather outside the gates of Downing Street at 5.30pm to protest what the United Voices of the World (UVW) union called a “culture of disrespect” in government buildings and offices across London.

Gray’s report, which was released in full on Wednesday, found: “I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable.”

The report’s revelations forced Boris Johnson to personally apologise to Downing Street staff, calling their treatment “repugnant”.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “The treatment and mockery doled out to cleaning and security staff that has now been exposed is beyond shameful.”

UVW represents outsourced cleaners at the Ministry of Justice, who are fighting for full sick pay.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Florencio Hortago, a cleaner who has worked at the Ministry of Justice for 18 years said: “Cleaners are disrespected on a daily basis, even working for the government. When the pandemic hit we didn’t have sick pay.”

Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said the union was not surprised by the revelations in the Sue Gray report.

“It is outrageous to have rowdy and illegal parties during the pandemic but to then expect cleaners to mop up after you and to pay them, as well as porters and security guards poverty wages, and deny them full sick pay is abhorrent,” Elia said.

Advertisement

Support someone in your own community

With our online vendor map, you can support a local vendor by supplementing their income with a subscription to Big Issue. For every annual subscription sold via a vendor, a vendor receives £50.

Recommended for you

Read All
Should we break up the Met? We asked experts what comes next after the Casey Review
police reform

Should we break up the Met? We asked experts what comes next after the Casey Review

Mums on hunger strike since Mother’s Day in solidarity with parents who can’t feed their kids
Food poverty

Mums on hunger strike since Mother’s Day in solidarity with parents who can’t feed their kids

Migration ‘hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons’. What if a museum could fix that?
Activism

Migration ‘hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons’. What if a museum could fix that?

Everything you need to know about Red Nose Day ahead of the 2023 telethon
Red nose day

Everything you need to know about Red Nose Day ahead of the 2023 telethon

Most Popular

Read All
Here's when people will get the next cost of living payment in 2023
1.

Here's when people will get the next cost of living payment in 2023

No internet, no opportunities: Addressing the challenges of digital exclusion in the UK
2.

No internet, no opportunities: Addressing the challenges of digital exclusion in the UK

What are 15-minute cities? The truth about the plans popping up from Oxford all the way to Melbourne
3.

What are 15-minute cities? The truth about the plans popping up from Oxford all the way to Melbourne

They Might Be Giants is not a cult: How they built a birdhouse in your soul... and a 40-year sustainable creative enterprise
4.

They Might Be Giants is not a cult: How they built a birdhouse in your soul... and a 40-year sustainable creative enterprise