In a previous career I found out that the team of office cleaners supplied by a cleaning firm were being badly treated (financially) by their employers.
It wasn't within my remit to get directly involved and to a large extent I was bound by internal politics. I did however formally raise the issue and was assured action would be taken. I can't say either way as to whether the issue was resloved as I transferred to another depot at the same time.
The cleaners were on minimum wage but rarely paid more than £3.50 per hour.
They were often not paid at all for hours worked.
They were all foreign (Brazil, Africa, Jamaica) and most were here under the radar.
They were fearful of just about everything.
The company I worked for was and is one of the largest companies globally.
The cleaning firm must have fulfilled certain criteria to have been approved by central procurement (obviously no follow up).
This was as recent as 2006 and I couldn't believe that my company allowed such treatment of anyone working on our behalf. Still not sure whether they were blind or ignorant but either way the bottom line really was the bottom line!
Now that I am involved in the cleaning industry I often think back to this. This is why I will never get drawn into a cost war when invited to drop our quoted prices I decline by the action of not resubmitting.
How can a company that treats all employees equally and fairly, that employs everyone legally, that pays well above the NMW, compete with companies like that above on cost.
Simple, they can't!!!
The craziest thing of all is that there are so many corporate types out there who have a little bit of power, but unfortunately even less understanding. These may be the same people having authority to award contracts to us 'subbies' or not.
I had one senior individual at a very large company tell me that business wasn't about profit but revenue. Therefore charging £6 per hour was acceptable if it covered costs!
Now I know what he was getting at but I did wonder just how much he actually believed his own words.
Either way, this says it all about the mindset of some.
