Police cleaners avoid pandemic pay cut

UNISON members at Staffordshire Police branch have persuaded construction and buildings management company Kier to rethink proposed wage cuts for cleaning staff.

Kier was due to cut the pay of workers who provide building maintenance services to Staffordshire Police by up to 20% for the next three months as a pandemic response. The company is doing the same to its entire workforce, including board members “to allow the group to continue operating as efficiently as possible”.

UNISON had described Kier’s move as “unacceptable” and advised its members to reject the pay cut.

The move would have affected at least 10 cleaners in supervisory roles, along with others providing services to local authorities.

Branch secretary Rob Birch, said that the pay cut would have affected supervisors – including those who are having to do cleaning shifts themselves because of vacancies.

“Some of them are having to work up to 60 hours a week. They’re not getting paid overtime, so they’re effectively already being paid below the minimum wage.”