[UK] Living Wage Foundation accused of accrediting firms that fail to pay living wage

In the UK, underpaid cleaning staff have accused the Living Wage Foundation of giving accreditation to an “uncaring” outsourcing company that pays workers less than the living wage, The Guardian reports.

OCS is accredited under a bespoke scheme for outsourcing firms, however, the company has only committed to paying a living wage to its centrally employed staff. The scheme does not cover the majority of OCS’s 50,000 workforce, they are tied to external contracts.

Workers at the facilities services giant who clean the British Airways headquarters and its Heathrow offices are reportedly paid £11.44 per hour; the UK’s national minimum wage. Their pay falls below the foundation’s current hourly living wage rate of £12.60 across the UK and £13.85 per hour in London.

OCS’s website states that it is “championing fair wages” as part of the scheme. However, one cleaner, who preferred to remain unnamed, told The Guardian that the reality was far different to the image OCS (formerly Office Cleaning Services) presented to the outside world, “It is not true… they are treating us like slaves … it is very, very unfair.”

The worker reportedly claimed that the cleaners’ repeated requests for higher pay had been ignored. The workers have joined the Unite union and are currently balloting for strike action. “We have been fighting for a pay rise for three years. We have written letters. We have spoken to managers,” she said. “No one has taken any action so we have all joined the union to fight back.”

The cleaners, whose uniforms feature BA logos, allege that they have also been ignored by the airline. “They are responsible too. But they didn’t take any action. They are treating us as very low and cheap people. Every human being has a right to live equally,” the worker said.

A Living Wage Foundation page on the OCS website states that the firm is a “long-term … champion of the real living wage”, working with the foundation “to champion the living wage one contract at a time”.

According to The Guardian, Sharon Graham - Unite’s general secretary - has called on the foundation to clean up its act and stop “ethics washing” the reputation of companies such as OCS. Ms Graham said that denying the workers a decent wage is all about companies cynically further boosting already huge profits at the expense of a dedicated, committed workforce.

“It is disgraceful that these workers are not being paid a decent wage. Both British Airways and OCS are incredibly wealthy and can fully afford to pay the workers fairly and decently.”

An OCS spokesperson told The Guardian that any claims made are treated seriously. They added, “Our priority is the welfare of our colleagues. To support this, we offer a range of initiatives, including schemes to assist with financial wellbeing. We also work closely with our customers to ensure pay and conditions meet contractual agreements and industry standards.”

BA reportedly declined to comment.

The Living Wage Foundation stated that it worked with service providers to drive living wage jobs in some of the lowest-paid sectors.

“Through this work with over 190 recognised service providers, we have seen an additional 130,000 jobs lifted on to a real living wage,” a spokesperson said.

“We know the impact of this on workers and their families, and we will continue to work with leading service providers to push for more jobs that meet the cost of living, and provide people with everyday needs.”

Source: The Guardian

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, underpaid cleaning staff have accused the Living Wage Foundation of giving accreditation to an “uncaring” outsourcing company that pays workers less than the living wage, The Guardian reports.

OCS is accredited under a bespoke scheme for outsourcing firms, however, the company has only committed to paying a living wage to its centrally employed staff. The scheme does not cover the majority of OCS’s 50,000 workforce, they are tied to external contracts.

Workers at the facilities services giant who clean the British Airways headquarters and its Heathrow offices are reportedly paid £11.44 per hour; the UK’s national minimum wage. Their pay falls below the foundation’s current hourly living wage rate of £12.60 across the UK and £13.85 per hour in London.

OCS’s website states that it is “championing fair wages” as part of the scheme. However, one cleaner, who preferred to remain unnamed, told The Guardian that the reality was far different to the image OCS (formerly Office Cleaning Services) presented to the outside world, “It is not true… they are treating us like slaves … it is very, very unfair.”

The worker reportedly claimed that the cleaners’ repeated requests for higher pay had been ignored. The workers have joined the Unite union and are currently balloting for strike action. “We have been fighting for a pay rise for three years. We have written letters. We have spoken to managers,” she said. “No one has taken any action so we have all joined the union to fight back.”

The cleaners, whose uniforms feature BA logos, allege that they have also been ignored by the airline. “They are responsible too. But they didn’t take any action. They are treating us as very low and cheap people. Every human being has a right to live equally,” the worker said.

A Living Wage Foundation page on the OCS website states that the firm is a “long-term … champion of the real living wage”, working with the foundation “to champion the living wage one contract at a time”.

According to The Guardian, Sharon Graham - Unite’s general secretary - has called on the foundation to clean up its act and stop “ethics washing” the reputation of companies such as OCS. Ms Graham said that denying the workers a decent wage is all about companies cynically further boosting already huge profits at the expense of a dedicated, committed workforce.

“It is disgraceful that these workers are not being paid a decent wage. Both British Airways and OCS are incredibly wealthy and can fully afford to pay the workers fairly and decently.”

An OCS spokesperson told The Guardian that any claims made are treated seriously. They added, “Our priority is the welfare of our colleagues. To support this, we offer a range of initiatives, including schemes to assist with financial wellbeing. We also work closely with our customers to ensure pay and conditions meet contractual agreements and industry standards.”

BA reportedly declined to comment.

The Living Wage Foundation stated that it worked with service providers to drive living wage jobs in some of the lowest-paid sectors.

“Through this work with over 190 recognised service providers, we have seen an additional 130,000 jobs lifted on to a real living wage,” a spokesperson said.

“We know the impact of this on workers and their families, and we will continue to work with leading service providers to push for more jobs that meet the cost of living, and provide people with everyday needs.”

Source: The Guardian

(Quotes via original reporting)