Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 11th April 2024 Issue no. 1109
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I’ve said it before and no doubt I’ll say it many times more: Cleaning is not the best, the easiest or the most glamorous job in the world but it is one of the most crucial. Really good cleaners are hard to come by but few of them earn anything like what they are worth. Why should a TV presenter, for example, live a charmed and glamorous life while earning enough each month to buy a small house in some parts of the UK, while the all-important cleaner has to struggle to survive? After all, the cleaner actually has more responsibility…
As you can no doubt imagine, I’m a supporter of The Living Wage in the UK, which this week was increased to £7.85 per hour (21% higher than the National Minimum Wage of £6.50) and £9.15 in London.
Whereas the National Minimum Wage is mandatory, paying the Living Wage is a matter of choice. Some people I ask complain that paying more will damage their businesses – they say they can’t afford it – but others are finding it’s improving the calibre of cleaners they employ while promoting loyalty and cutting training and recruitment costs thanks to the resulting reduction in staff turnover.
Next week, we’re running an article on how Living Wage accreditation is impacting on Julius Rutherfoord’s cleaning business – and if you’re an employer toying with the idea of becoming accredited, it will have some useful information for you.
Finally (and this has nothing to do with cleaning but…) I travelled to London by train to attend a press launch yesterday, embarking at St Pancras Station, before walking across and through St Pancras International and along the shopping mall. Nowhere did I see a poppy for sale and nor have I seen any in my home town of Epsom. I wear a poppy to show my respect of ALL those who’ve lost their lives fighting what I consider to be unnecessary battles throughout the world and am flummoxed as to why – on the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1, I’m unable to do so this year. Looking at people’s lapels I’m not alone! Where have all the poppies gone?
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Yours,
6th November 2014