100 signatures reached
To: Paul Anstey, Sodexo, CEO Government and Energy UK&I
Stop cuts to jobs and hours: support low-paid Sodexo workers at Belfast UK Government hub
Global multinational Sodexo is trying to cut the hours and jobs of low-paid PCS union members providing essential services to government buildings in Belfast city centre.
Sign this petition to Paul Anstey, Sodexo, asking him to reverse the outsourcing giant’s decision to make our members poorer and threaten their jobs.
Donate to ensure our low-paid members can continue their fight without financial hardship.
Sodexo is a multinational outsourcing company which reported net profits of £679 million in 2025. It is Europe’s second largest company delivering catering and facilities management services, employing more than 400,000 workers across over 40 countries.
Sodexo is a multinational outsourcing company which reported net profits of £679 million in 2025. It is Europe’s second largest company delivering catering and facilities management services, employing more than 400,000 workers across over 40 countries.
In Belfast, 18 Sodexo employees – low-paid receptionists, cleaners, porters and kitchen staff – are taking on Sodexo, determined to defend their jobs, hours and working conditions.
These PCS members work in Erskine House – the UK Government hub building home to HMRC, the Cabinet Office and Northern Ireland Office – and Carne House.
Despite revenue, net profits and profit margins all increasing in 2025, Sodexo claims it is underperforming and has appointed a new global CEO to boost performance. In Belfast, to ‘align with the financial position of the contract’, Sodexo senior management demanded a small group of low-paid workers agree a cut of 140-160 to their hours of work.
Our members were faced with an appalling ‘choice’ – agree to reduce hours which would cut their take home pay and intensify their work, accept changes to their roles which for many are unsuitable, or see job cuts.
Our members report that staffing levels are already stretched.
Further reductions are likely to worsen working conditions and could have a serious impact on service delivery, particularly when there are existing difficulties meeting key performance indicators.
PCS supported members through the individual consultation process, offered alternatives to redundancies and met with Sodexo management, to try and resolve this issue.
But Sodexo would not make a formal offer to resolve the dispute or meet our bargaining demands.
As a last resort, our members walked out on strike for two weeks in early to mid June.
Action so far
The strike action was solid, with picket lines every day, supported by PCS civil servants, Irish Congress, the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance (NIPSA), UCU, Unison, Unite, Belfast and District Trades Council and many more.
However, rather than sitting down and seeking to reach agreement with PCS negotiators, Sodexo reportedly spent thousands of pounds on flights and hotels, bringing in workers from other parts of the UK to undermine the action.
The dispute is set to escalate unless we can reach an agreement with Sodexo to save our members jobs and terms.
We call on Paul Anstey, Sodexo (CEO, Government and Energy UK&I) to intervene to
We call on Paul Anstey, Sodexo (CEO, Government and Energy UK&I) to intervene to
- Withdraw the proposal to cut the hours of workers on the contract
- Withdraw all threat of redundancies
- Withdraw any proposals to amalgamate roles to create multi-functional roles.
Please sign this petition to support these brave and determined workers, in their fight for workplace justice.
Why is this important?
This dispute exemplifies the failings of outsourcing government work for profit. Cutting hours and/or staff is not in the interests of the workers delivering these important services, nor is it in the interests of the public sector workers to whom they deliver these services
These cuts only benefit Sodexo.
PCS believes that outsourcing is a failed experiment, and this dispute is further evidence of that.