Downing Street may soon become a considerably less attractive workplace, as cleaners and catering personnel at No 10 are set to initiate a continuous strike lasting a month over salary and workplace conditions.
This strike, scheduled from February 24 to March 25, will impact both No 10 and the Cabinet Office and is an escalation of an ongoing dispute that has already affected several government departments.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, representing these workers, is advocating for wage increases and enhancements to various conditions, including holiday entitlements. Additionally, they are urging the Labour government to transition employees currently working for an outsourcing company into official government positions.
These workers, employed by the facility services company ISS, permanently operate within the departments. While the PCS maintains that the resolution of this dispute lies with the government, the Cabinet Office claims it is a matter for ISS to handle.
In addition to staff at No 10 and the Cabinet Office, the strike will extend to employees at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Education, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Business and Trade, with the PCS covering their wages during this period.
The participation of No 10’s cleaners is particularly poignant given the heightened scrutiny on their roles amid coverage of lockdown-breaching gatherings at No 10 during Boris Johnson’s premiership.
An official report regarding these gatherings highlighted issues like red wine stains left for cleaners to address and multiple instances of disrespect towards cleaning staff and security personnel.
Certain department employees have been staging intermittent strikes since October, but following a new ballot among PCS members, the strike will be prolonged. While picketing will occur, civil servants and ministers are permitted to cross these lines as they are not party to the dispute.
In addition to the ongoing issues regarding pay and conditions, the PCS is also pressing ministers to follow through on previous commitments to phase out outsourcing for roles like cleaning, catering, and security in government offices.
The union suggests that a potential resolution to the dispute is pending a decision from the Cabinet Office, but this matter has been unresolved for several months.
The Cabinet Office counters this assertion, stating that negotiations with the union are solely the responsibility of ISS and other external employers. They also clarify that the contracts are managed by the Government Property Agency, a division of the Cabinet Office, rather than being held by specific departments.
A representative from the PCS noted that current contracts with ISS and other outsourcing companies like G4S and OCS are set to expire in three years, emphasizing that discussions about transitioning these employees to civil service contracts must commence soon.
An ISS UK and Ireland spokesperson expressed disappointment over the impending strike, stating, “We value the contributions of every ISS team member and will continue to strive for a resolution.”
