PRESS RELEASE: Barnet UNISON demands fair pay for outsourced cleaners: end delayed wages and implement London Living Wage from announcement date
Barnet UNISON demands fair pay for outsourced cleaners: end delayed wages and implement London Living Wage from announcement date
Barnet UNISON is calling on the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) and its contractor Norse to end unfair pay practices affecting outsourced cleaners — including delayed wage payments and the six-month delay many contractors apply before implementing the new London Living Wage (LLW) rate.
The union’s call follows testimony from a cleaner working on a Council contract who described the daily reality of trying to raise a family in London on the LLW during the cost-of-living crisis.
“Food is so expensive now. Sometimes it’s hard to buy even basic food — and it’s even harder when you have children… On top of that I have to find money for gas and electricity… Sometimes I have to borrow money from family.”
The cleaner also highlighted what Barnet UNISON describes as a stark two-tier system, where outsourced workers are treated differently from colleagues employed directly by the Council:
“It’s unfair that my employer holds onto my pay for another 12 days before they pay me. I’m working alongside council workers who get their pay at the end of the month… Why are we treated differently?”
Concern over Norse Group pay schedule
Barnet UNISON has written to the Chief Executive of the Norse Group, a local authority trading company owned by Norfolk County Council, which holds the contract to provide cleaning services for Barnet Council.
Norse Group states publicly that it aims to “improve people’s lives”, deliver “ethical profit for the public sector”, and “invest in our people” through recruitment, training, and retention.
However, Barnet UNISON says the pay arrangements for cleaners on the Barnet contract do not reflect those values. Based on Norse’s published four-weekly pay schedule, cleaners can be paid 10–12 days after the end of the pay period — meaning many are already well into the next working period before receiving wages they have already earned.
In its letter to Norse Group’s Chief Executive, Barnet UNISON urged an urgent intervention to end the practice and move to prompt pay dates.
London Living Wage should be paid when it is announced
Barnet UNISON is also calling for a procurement change at LBB: a requirement that the LLW uplift is implemented from the date it is announced, rather than being delayed until 1 April. The LLW is typically announced in October, leaving workers waiting roughly six months for pay increases designed to help them meet living costs.
As the cleaner put it:
“Prices don’t wait six months. Rent doesn’t wait. Food doesn’t wait. Gas and electricity don’t wait. If the London Living Wage is the rate people need to live on, then it should be paid from the moment it’s announced.”
Barnet UNISON’s demands
Barnet UNISON is calling for:
- An end to delayed wage payments on outsourced contracts — wages should be paid promptly at the end of the pay period (or as close as reasonably possible), not held back for over a week.
- A contractual clause in all future outsourced contracts requiring the new London Living Wage rate to be implemented from the announcement date, not months later.
- Clear contract monitoring and enforcement, so contractors that want to win or retain LBB work must meet basic fair work standards.
Statement from Barnet UNISON Branch Chair
Helen Davies Branch Chair of Barnet UNISON, said:
“Our cleaners keep Barnet’s buildings safe, clean and working — yet many are among the lowest paid workers connected to Council services. In a cost-of-living crisis, it is simply unacceptable for any contractor to delay paying people what they have already earned, or to delay implementing the London Living Wage uplift for months after it is announced.
Barnet UNISON is proud to stand with our outsourced members. We are calling on Norse Group and Barnet Council to act now: end delayed pay practices, implement the LLW from the announcement date, and ensure every contract reflects fair treatment and dignity at work.”
Notes to editors
- Barnet UNISON is the recognised trade union representing Barnet Council staff and many outsourced workers delivering Council services.
- The worker quoted is anonymous to protect their identity.
- Norse Group is a local authority trading company owned by Norfolk County Council and operates through partnerships and joint ventures with councils.
Media contact:
Barnet UNISON
contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
ENDS