Clifford Chance is being subjected to a run of protests outside its Canary Wharf HQ by irate cleaners.
The firm outsources its cleaning to contractors MITIE. Some of the cleaners are members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which told RoF that MITIE had engaged in a culture of "bullying, intimidation, excessive workloads and union busting". General Secretary Chris Ford accepted that the cleaners were paid the London Living Wage, but claimed that one union member was suspended after a duster worth 40p was found in their bag. And so he's doing his bit for the cause by embarrassing one of MITIE's biggest clients. A protest was held last month, and another is scheduled for Monday.
Ford said that he was targeting Clifford Chance, rather than the countless other law firms which contract with MITIE, because CC hadn't engaged with his union after the original protest. And because CC holds itself out as protecting human rights. Which seems a little unfair as presumably this was MITIE's problem rather than CC's. And the firm, along with most in the City, actually does do rather a lot of pro bono work to support human rights...
A spokeswoman for MITIE said that it had "fair and robust processes and procedures in place to deal with employee grievance and disciplinary matters. MITIE is in constructive talks with the IWGB and a number of actions have been mutually agreed to independently investigate and address the allegations made by this union."
Clifford Chance didn't comment. Capitalist pigs. RoF will be joining IWGB with a red flag and a loudhailer next week.
Tip Off ROF
The firm outsources its cleaning to contractors MITIE. Some of the cleaners are members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which told RoF that MITIE had engaged in a culture of "bullying, intimidation, excessive workloads and union busting". General Secretary Chris Ford accepted that the cleaners were paid the London Living Wage, but claimed that one union member was suspended after a duster worth 40p was found in their bag. And so he's doing his bit for the cause by embarrassing one of MITIE's biggest clients. A protest was held last month, and another is scheduled for Monday.
Ford said that he was targeting Clifford Chance, rather than the countless other law firms which contract with MITIE, because CC hadn't engaged with his union after the original protest. And because CC holds itself out as protecting human rights. Which seems a little unfair as presumably this was MITIE's problem rather than CC's. And the firm, along with most in the City, actually does do rather a lot of pro bono work to support human rights...
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Up the workers |
A spokeswoman for MITIE said that it had "fair and robust processes and procedures in place to deal with employee grievance and disciplinary matters. MITIE is in constructive talks with the IWGB and a number of actions have been mutually agreed to independently investigate and address the allegations made by this union."
Clifford Chance didn't comment. Capitalist pigs. RoF will be joining IWGB with a red flag and a loudhailer next week.
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'rolling their eyes and doing air quotes while they work?' - yes, and that has been the issue with MITIE all along, they also completely fail to understand post-modern art references.
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Stop using these monsterous conpanies and speak to the people that work for them before you use them and get an idea of whats really going on before you TUPE your staff into a dictatorial nightmare and they loose all faith in providing you with a quality service.!! Why is it always about the bottom line...service and employee productivity just dont seem to exist in these hellish times!
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