Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111
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Today, the people of Britain go to the polls and I can’t remember a general election that has been so exciting and one in which so many parties have items in their manifestos that could have such an impact on our industry. I’d love to have your thoughts on the pledges to massively increase the National Minimum Wage and those concerning immigration – and no doubt I’ll get them after what I’m about to say…
I’m a strong supporter of the London Living Wage and am pleased that so many employers in our industry are paying it. Many, however, are not - and while I’m aware that people have businesses to keep afloat, I have a household to run, money’s tight and I don’t think it’s fair that my taxes should go towards topping up other people’s pay when their often wealthy employers should be paying them enough to live on in the first place.
A small room in a shared house in my road is going for £100 a week plus bills. How can someone on minimum wage or a zero hours contract afford that? And when you’re doing a full working week, where’s the dignity in having to claim benefits to top up your income so you can pay your rent and feed your family? It’s not really on, is it?
I know the cost of living is less outside London and the South East, but wonder whether the National Minimum Wage is really high enough for those earning it, to be able to live. And how will they be able to save for retirement, when earning so little?
Some parties are promising to control the numbers or ‘calibre’ of those coming into our country. Our industry relies heavily on immigrant workers and many employers have entire contracts serviced by cleaners from a particular country who look after recruitment if more cleaners are needed; they tell me they can’t get the Brits to do the work and that if they do, turnover is high.
Wherever you are in the chain, how will any changes in legislation affect you and how do you plan to overcome the problems they might present (or spend the extra money)? And do you agree or disagree with the comments I’ve made today? If you’re one of our thousands of overseas readers, what do you think about potential changes to our immigration laws? Please do let me know!
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Yours,
7th May 2015