Justice for the Canary Wharf cleaners!
IMC-Cambridge funsters | 15.10.2004 18:56 | European Social Forum | Free Spaces | Repression | Social Struggles
Samba band craziness
The police look on in trepidation
Back in May, the Transport and General Workers' Union, the cleaners' union, welcomed HSBC and contract cleaner OCS's decision to increase pay and conditions for its cleaners at Canary Wharf. However the T&G warned then that it would be continuing its campaign with The East London Community Organisation (TELCO) urging all companies at Canary Wharf to pay their cleaners a living wage and for union recognition - at present, some cleaners at Canary Wharf are paid as little as £5.20per hour. Today's protest was part of this ongoing campaign and part of the ESF fun as well..
Jack Dromey, T&G Deputy General Secretary said in May "This is a step in the right direction, but make no mistake, the benefits have come about because cleaners at Canary Wharf have begun to organise into an effective union." It is to be hoped that these efforts will be allowed to continue unmolested by the behemoth corporations which occupy the Canary Wharf complex. We should be ready to defend the cleaners' right to unionise at every turn...
IMC-Cambridge funsters
Comments
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Dwarfed by the tower and outnumbered by massive police presence
15.10.2004 22:22
arriving at canary wharf
unuprisingly the management refused to comment, no doubt to scared to show there swollen greedy faces from behind a police presence that numbered a thousand easily.
jobclub
where where the cleaners?
16.10.2004 07:40
crowd assemble
welcomed by police
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, there where no canary wharf cleaners who joined this action.
jobclub
reasons
17.10.2004 23:06
And as their union could not officially back the demo (although with a bit of backbone inserted Iam sure they could have) they where not made very aware of the protest that did take place.
I hope that answers the question as to where were the cleaners?
adam
Where were the cleaners? The cleaners weren't bothered....
01.05.2007 17:52
I suspect the protest was actually staged by a group of do-gooders who insist on protesting about something as it is May day, whether or not the protest is actually valid.
Dave