10 signatures reached
To: Leader of the London Borough of Barnet
Pay Barnet’s cleaners on time — and bring cleaning back in-house
Barnet Council must require Norse Group to meet basic fair pay standards on the Barnet cleaning contract: pay wages promptly (at the end of the pay period or within a small number of working days) and apply the London Living Wage uplift from the October announcement date, not delayed until 1 April.
Lastly, the Council should bring cleaning back in-house at the earliest opportunity.
Why is this important?
Cleaners on Barnet’s council cleaning contract—employed by Norse Group—are among the lowest-paid workers delivering public services in one of the richest cities in the world.
They keep our council buildings and schools clean, safe and running, yet they can be left waiting around 10–12 days after the end of the pay period to receive wages they have already earned. They are paid every four weeks, but the pay arrives nearly two weeks after the work period ends. For workers living week to week, that delay creates real hardship: rent, bills, food and travel costs don’t wait.
They keep our council buildings and schools clean, safe and running, yet they can be left waiting around 10–12 days after the end of the pay period to receive wages they have already earned. They are paid every four weeks, but the pay arrives nearly two weeks after the work period ends. For workers living week to week, that delay creates real hardship: rent, bills, food and travel costs don’t wait.
It also creates a clear two-tier situation where outsourced staff can be treated differently from directly employed council staff. On top of that, many contractors delay implementing the new London Living Wage rate until 1 April even though it is announced in October—leaving low-paid workers waiting months for an uplift that is meant to reflect the real cost of living.
Barnet Council should set fair standards for any contractor that wants to provide services in Barnet: pay workers on time and pay the Living Wage when it is announced.
If outsourcing cannot deliver basic fairness and accountability, then cleaning should be brought back in-house at the earliest opportunity.
If outsourcing cannot deliver basic fairness and accountability, then cleaning should be brought back in-house at the earliest opportunity.