Cleaning Operatives have often got overlooked in the past when it comes to dignity and fair pay and although businesses expect their premises to be cleaned to a high standard, they have often not wanted to recognise the hard work of their cleaners by paying a fair wage. The introduction of the National Living Wage has certainly helped in this area but there are still too many cleaning operatives who are treated without the dignity, respect and fairness they deserve.
It really shouldn’t be like this in 2017 and as an organisation we believe passionately in not only paying our staff a good wage but by recognising their hard work and treating them with the respect they deserve for doing extremely arduous work and often working unsociable hours.
We recognise that in doing this although our wage bill might be higher than some of our competitors, our staff turnover is lower reducing our training and recruitment costs and our client’s get the continuity they deserve and are not left with cleaners not turning up or different people coming and going. Add to this a happier workforce who feel valued and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
The British Cleaning Council are striving hard to promote fairness at work and recently took part in a ‘Know Your Rights At Work’ campaign and although we are in an age of advanced technology and robotics, the cleaning industry will continue for some time to be dependent on human labour. Our cleaning operatives are our most prised asset and we intend to continue to treat them as such.
