Royal Opera House: Cleaners and porters strike over pay and ‘structural racism’

Cleaners and porters at the Royal Opera House are striking over pay and conditions - and have criticised the institution for “structural racism” within its operations.

Staff are taking strike action at London’s Royal Opera House (ROH) today (Friday, September 30) and have been on the picket line since midday.

Workers who are outsourced to DOC Cleaning Ltd - an external contractor - want 12 weeks sick pay, a 12% employer pension contribution and a week’s additional holiday.

Cleaner Patricia Pelaez said: “We are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis and are fighting for fairer conditions.”

While fellow cleaner Rafael Borges added: “The industrial action is due to the end of all possibilities of negotiation. Sadly, there has been nothing else left for us to do than strike.”

The Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union (CAIWU), which represents 25 of the cleaners and porters at the ROH, says the venue operates a “tiered structure”.

Direct employees enjoy benefits including healthcare; a subsidised cafe; flexible working and childcare vouchers - while outsourced workers get statutory minimum health and pensions.

A CAIWU statement reads: “Given all the cleaners and porters are of migrant ethnic minority backgrounds, this divide smacks of structural racism within the operations of the ROH.

“The ROH has received at least £91m of public funds over the last three years through the National Lottery and Arts Council England.

“It is galling that none of that has been passed on to employees’ salaries, including those of cleaning staff and porters, to assist in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and other illnesses.

“Currently, under statutory sick pay, cleaners and porters are not incentivised to stay at home if feeling unwell: if the cleaners and porters don’t work, then they don’t get paid.

“The inability of the DOC and ROH to confront its own bad working practices has meant that the cleaners and porters have been forced to commence strike action.”

A rally will take place at 4pm, and the picket line will continue until 8pm this evening.

Negotiations with DOC have been ongoing since the CAIWU first wrote to Alex Beard, the ROH chief executive, on April 22.

Alberto Durango, CAIWU general secretary, said: “The ROH has received millions in public money as well as millions in donations.

“It is a disgrace that it only gives good working conditions to some of the people who work there. It is time to stop this unbridled greed.”

A spokesperson for the ROH said: "The strike action today relates to a small number of staff employed by our contractor, DOC Cleaning.

“DOC continue to deal with this matter through their union consultation processes and through their ACAS intermediary.

"We know the immense challenge posed by the cost-of-living crisis to all of our employees, and we uphold the principle of fair pay across the board, with a firm commitment to apply the London Living Wage to all employees, and those hired through sub-contractors.”

They added: “However, we would like to address a number of inaccurate claims made by CAIWU, the organisation claiming to represent a small number of employees, about the Royal Opera House’s staffing policies.

"Contrary to claims made, pension provision is roughly equivalent across both the Royal Opera House and DOC, as is holiday entitlement.

“Similarly, all staff, including DOC employees, have access to subsidised food in the staff canteen, as well as statutory provisions around flexible working and parental leave.

“All staff have equal access to the ROH benevolent fund. There is no preferential treatment to non-contractors in respect to the Royal Opera House healthcare suite- which is for the sole use of dancers of The Royal Ballet due to the unique, physical nature of their role.

"DOC remain open to dialogue with CAIWU, and we share their desire for a swift resolution to this matter.

“We are taking steps to minimise the impact of the strike on our customers".