Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 7th March 2024 Issue no. 1104
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  International News
Products WFBSC's Global Executive Summit to reunite world's leading facility services contractor executives
Exclusive technology agreement will enhance robotic floor cleaning solutions
UMF|PerfectClean is APIC Strategic Partner for third year running
Gates' new clean master plus pressure wash hose can really pack a punch
Greenlion wins contract for post renovation cleaning of USPS facilities in New York
Genesis Biosciences joins consortium to tackle antimicrobial resistance
Under the leadership of Professor Jean-Yves Maillard of Cardiff University, the company will collaborate with the university and other European educational institutions on the research project. ISS renews full-service partnership agreement with Nordea
ISS has worked with Nordea since 1976. From 2012 onward, the company has delivered integrated facility management services. ‘Contributions of Cleaning Solution Residues to Indoor Organic Surface Films’: new report
While disinfectant solutions eliminate germs, they don't leave behind a truly bare surface. They deposit a thin film that doesn't get wiped up, even after giving the surface a good polish. Global professional hand hygiene market to grow by $2Bn to 2028
One third of Geneva's eateries do not meet hygiene norms
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Welcome to the Cleanzine
Today we’re carrying a piece on a dispute in which Amazon warehouse cleaners, whom I understand have been outsourced to Mitie, are about to take industrial action over pay and conditions. They’re being supported by their Union, United Voices of the World, and while I’m not party to the intricacies of the case and can only go by what UVW is saying, I can’t get my head around what’s going on. A hugely profitable company which in my view is putting shop staff out of work by making it too convenient for people to buy online, (and thus cleaners out of work since boarded-up shops and stores don’t need cleaning!) chooses not to ensure that those who clean its warehouses are paid a decent wage for doing so. Yes the contract may have been outsourced to Mitie and yes the contractor is highly successful too… according to the UVW statement, last year Mitie “boasted a revenue of over £4 billion,” but it has a lot of contracts and cleaners’ livelihoods to juggle and just doesn’t have anything like the spending power that Amazon does. What do we as an industry have to do to persuade those at the receiving end of our endeavours that we’re providing a CRUCIAL service? How do we get people to recognise that cleaning – and running a cleaning contract – isn’t something that ‘just anyone can do’ but something that requires specialist knowledge and skills? As I said before, I don’t know the background to this case but I know from my many conversations with contractors, that when the going gets tough for their clients, the cleaning budget belt is the first one to be tightened. I do hope Amazon and businesses like it, start looking beyond their desire to keep increasing their profits and realise that cleaners are helping their businesses run smoothly and safely. Not forgetting of course that these cleaners may well be customers too and they can’t spend what they don’t have! Why not insist that the cleaners are paid a little over the odds if the money’s available? Just imagine the kudos that would bring! Are you all geared up for next week’s Manchester Cleaning Show? It’s going to be the biggest ever and like everyone else involved, John Austen and I have been looking forward to spending time catching up with business colleagues and friends, seeing what’s on offer and learning about the latest trends. Sadly, because of a couple of health catastrophes, (first John, then three weeks later, me) neither of us is going to be able to attend. If you’re either visiting or exhibiting, we wish you a successful and enjoyable couple of days. Please don’t forget to share your news and feedback with us!
    This Week's News
Paul Thrupp to step down from FWC management committee after 16 years
Paul joined the FWC management committee with a window cleaning background, having been in the industry since 1977. Co-opted onto the FWC executive management council in 2007, he has been an enthusiastic member throughout his 16 years of loyal and voluntary service, whilst keeping FWC overheads to a minimum. Futures Supplies celebrates 29 years of success
Established in 1995 as a family business by Mandie, the company began its humble beginnings in a garage. Over nearly three decades, Futures Supplies has flourished into a renowned entity, serving a diverse clientele in the B2B sector, including contract cleaning companies, offices, educational establishments and leisure centres. Amsterdam Innovation Awards 2024: The nominations are…
Featuring some of the industry's most exciting and cutting-edge solutions, the 12 nominees for the Amsterdam Innovation Award were recently selected by an independent jury from 96 submissions in four categories. Company fined after worker injured by 300kg batteries A recycling company in West Yorkshire has been fined £120,000 after batteries weighing at least 300Kg fell onto an employee and severely injured him. The man was working with two colleagues at Wastecare's site on North Dean Business Park, Halifax, in March 2019 when he was struck by the batteries being recycled. Amazon prime target for cleaners' union's support
The cleaners, outsourced to Mitie, come from Latin America, Romania and England and are the lowest paid workers in Mitie and Amazon, according to the Union, which says: "These cuts will only serve to impoverish the cleaners even further, which is why our members, indignant that wealthy companies are trying to save pennies off their backs, also demand a substantial pay increase to over £13 an hour and a full pay sick pay scheme." SOAPBOX: A rubbish-free future for London: challenges and solutions
“As a born-and-bred Londoner, I've witnessed first-hand the changes this vibrant city has undertaken —the rise of skyscrapers, the increasing number of tourists and the exciting new developments - and yes, the ever-present challenge of waste management. From the cobbled streets of Camden to the bustling markets of Brixton, London is a fantastically diverse city, which continues to attract talent from all over the world to join its workforce as well as visitors to enjoy the sights worth seeing. This constant change and growth sets an almost impossible task for companies like Clear It Waste who aim to provide greener solutions in order to keep London looking its best. Sodexo UK & Ireland joins Tent UK, a new coalition of companies connecting refugees to work
Sodexo prides itself on being an inclusive employer and through its Social Impact Pledge has committed to do all it can to actively promote social mobility across its business and support disadvantaged groups in finding employment opportunities. High-level event held to advance WASH standards in healthcare facilities
Held in the capital city of Dushanbe, the event built on the outcomes of the second high-level international conference on the international decade for action ‘Water for sustainable development 2018-2028’ in June 2022 and the 2023 UN water conference in New York. WoolSafe-approved shampoo for rugs cuts cleaning costs
A reformulation of Surrey-based Prochem's B103 Contract Carpet Foam Shampoo is “a big deal for the rug cleaning industry,” says the company's director of sales & training, Phil Jones. Chicopee launches first 100% recycled, disposable microfibre wipe
Filling a crucial gap in the cleaning market with the ever-increasing demand for sustainable wiping solutions and the surge in touchscreen technology in facilities, rMicrofibre is designed to provide maximum cleaning effectiveness in high-risk and high-traffic areas, while supporting users in their sustainability goals. Truvox partners with i-Team to bring imop Lite and i-scrub 21B to UK
"i-Team Professional BV has entered into an OEM partnership with Truvox International, a subsidiary of Tacony Corporation, headquartered in Southampton, UK," says i-Team Professional regional ambassador UK, Ireland & Benelux Thijs Stolwijk. The Cleanzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The Cleanzine. If you would like to run a search of the The Cleanzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The Cleanzine:
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Our weekly updated Hospital Hygiene features current developments and product solutions cleaning and hygiene industry manufacturers are coming up with. Read More. Recent UK News
Reckitt Pro Solutions proud to be Manchester Cleaning Show’s Official Hygiene Partner
Hospice housekeeping manager nominated for national award
Thriving cleaning company is looking to expand
Kerbside Costing Tool webinar will help councils tackle waste more effectively
London needs a freight commissioner, says Logistics UK
Andy Gregory becomes EcoTech MD
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