A JOB WORTH DOING - A CONTRACTOR’S BLOG C&M
Why not have just one minimum pay rate? Lee Andrews, CEO of DOC Cleaning, reports. PRESSURE continues to rise on pay
that employs the majority of the lowest
rates, particularly here in London and
paid workers to work the hardest to do
the South East. It is becoming virtually
something about it. I’m not sure if, as
impossible to recruit on the National
an industry, we have ever worked well
Living Wage of £8.21. And yet, whilst
enough in unison to do that.
on the one hand the Living Wage
Maybe part of the answer is to
Foundation (LWF) wage of £10.45
factor in an element of realism. If, for
(£9.00 outside London) adds more
argument’s sake, the government
employers to its numbers, there is
set a new, single living wage that
still a reluctance on behalf of many cleaning clients to even entertain the idea
everyone acknowledged was fair, wouldn’t it then be reasonable to manage
of their contractors
its growth realistically,
paying above the
with increases limited
legal minimum. This is
purely to inflation? As
particularly noticeable
contractors, we could
amongst foreign-owned companies in London, who
price and plan contract costs more confidently, which
don’t grasp the idea of voluntarily
clients would surely appreciate. We
paying above the legal minimum,
could also manage the differentials with
rather like the way they don’t always
higher paid staff within our companies
understand the concept of TUPE!
more easily - another issue caused by
In defence of clients, it doesn’t help that between the NLW and LWF there
the wide variety of rates now being paid. But if harmonisation of ‘living’ wages
are so many ‘living wages’ - currently
still looks a long way off, like everyone
five if you include staff who are aged
else I’m at least hoping for greater
18 or over. And this variation can also
clarity and certainty when Brexit is
present challenges for contractors
resolved one way or the other. As any
who employ staff working in the same
London contractor knows, 90+% of
building, but on different contracts.
cleaning operatives are now foreign
A cleaning operative in a communal
nationals, fuelled by the continued
area can be paid £8.21, whereas
shunning of cleaning jobs by UK-born
their colleague in a building tenant’s
citizens in the capital. Uncertainty
area can be on £10.45 - a massive
around longer-term immigration rules
27% difference. Interestingly, I am
is already restricting the supply of
hearing about contractors who will
staff for our industry and may do so
categorically not take on new work at
further if any new skills or salary-based
less than LWF rates, which is a brave
selection rules are applied to citizens
and laudable stance to take, although
of all countries and not just the EU. So I
it raises the question of whether you
wait with interest to see if the final Brexit
have the discussion with the client
outcome pushes up the ‘going rate’
before the tender to establish their
for cleaning. If that happens, then like
commitment, or whether you submit
everyone else I will not be disappointed.
the tender ‘blind’, making your case
It may initially prove difficult for industry
within your proposal document.
clients to accept, and result in some
The problem is that our industry is
difficult conversations, but ironically it
so fragmented on the supply side.
may solve a problem that otherwise
Wouldn’t it be encouraging if some of
has no obvious solution. Cleaning
our industry’s very large players took
could yet become a sustainable means
a firm stance on this? At the end of the
of employment.
day, it is incumbent on the industry
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AUGUST 2019 21
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