Council cleaners demand a living wage
Kensington Town Hall, London. Tue 7 Aug 2018
UVW members and supporters along with the cleaners who have been on
strike in the courtyard of Kensington Council offices
Class War arrive to support the UVW
and talk to Petros Elia of the UVW
UVW and Class War supporters go into the Council Offices where a planning
committee meeting is about to start
Petros talks to Ian Bone of Class War
As the meeting starts, Petros gets up and starts to talk about the
cleaners and the dispute
and people get out banners, 'Justice For WOrkers'
and 'Dignity' and the 'United Voices of the World' banners
The committee members listen in silence as Petros speaks
'Justice for Workers'
Cllr Quentin Marshall who is chairing the meeting asks the protesters
to leave. When they don't he adjourns the meeting
and most of the councillors walk out, while people who have come to
take part in the planning meeting tell the
UVW that while they sympathise with the cleaners and their case for
a living wage, they would like to be able to
get on with the meeting. One man tells the protesters they are right
to protest in the meeting
and the one councillor on the planning committee who has not walked
out gives his support
Petros speaks again
and so do some of the other protesters
A woman gets up and identifies herself as Councillor Catherine Faulks
one of the council cabinet. She promises
that she will come to talk to the cleaners on the picket line on the
following morning, and bring as many other
councillors as she can to talk with the cleaners about their claim.
Petros says the problem is that the council
haven't been prepared to talk to the cleaners at all. Cllr Faulks
repeats her offer
and eventually the UVW decide to take her at her word
and agree to leave to that the planning committee can continue with
their work
Outside Petros tells the cleaners that councillors will come and talk
with them on the following morning
and they are pleased to hear that some progress has been made
and pose for a photograph with the supporters on the steps
