As part of an ongoing campaign, cleaners at a South London John Lewis have entered into a pay dispute with their employer. Although John Lewis purports to run on a socially responsible cooperative business model, the men and women who clean its shops are locked out of this “partnership”. Instead, they are hired through subcontractors who pay, at best, slightly above the national minimum wage.
Coming on the back of other successful living wage for cleaners campaigns, the John Lewis cleaners are demanding an immediate increase. From there, they expect a binding plan from management to eventually reach the £8.55 per/hour (plus full sick pay) which constitutes the London Living Wage. The LLW is the bare minimum that has been determined that those in full-time employment can survive on in the capital.
The cleaners, who are organised with the Industrial Workers of the World, are demanding that the living wage be granted without hours being cut and without any intensification to the already hard job which the cleaners do.
The North London Solidarity Federation stands behind the IWW in demanding that John Lewis stop hiding behind the facade of subcontractors and ensure that anyone who works inside John Lewis shops be given the London Living Wage. To that end, SolFed members will continue to attend, support, and promote any pickets, protests, or actions which are called by the cleaners.
For a living wage for all workers with no cuts to hours and no speed-ups!
Support the John Lewis cleaners!
IWW press release here