VIDEO: Street cleaners fight for London Living Wage from … – Wandsworth Guardian

Wandsworth street cleaners took to the streets to protest rates of pay and slashed hours for two days this week.

Staff at Continental landscapes went on strike on February 28 and March 1 because their employers pay 7.50 per hour when the London Living Wage is 9.75.

The staff on strike, 18of the workforce, have appealed to the council to help their cause.

In the video Paul Grafton, a full time official at trade union GMB, said: "The council have completely ignored our pleas.

"[Continental Landscapes] earn huge amounts of money. The turnover is 13 million a year for these contracts.

A spokesperson for Wandsworth Council said: "This is a dispute between our contractor and their workforce.

"We expect services to be provided in line with the terms of the contract."

GMB representative Pat Duggan said: "From April Wandsworth Council made a half a million pound cut."

He said the council made "eight people redundant"leaving the cleaning staff with extra work, no extra pay and an hour less a day to do the work.

Mr Grafton said: "The directors of Continental Landscapes are simply promoting modern day slavery within Wandsworth and yet the Wandsworth Council show no interest and appear to be happy to see the staff earning so little."

He added: "Since Continental Landscapes have taken on the contract the staff have suffered not only in having their hours slashed but also the rates of overtime reduced at weekends and evenings.

"Some staff will also be losing a further 150 a month as a result of the continual cuts on the contract."

Councillor Fleur Anderson, Labour spokesman on Community Services, said: "Residents in Wandsworth already get a bad deal when it comes to street cleaning services which have been cut back by the Council to the point where bins have been removed and collections cancelled to save money."

Continental Landscapes have been contacted for comment.

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VIDEO: Street cleaners fight for London Living Wage from ... - Wandsworth Guardian