Jim Melvin, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), is amongst many industry leaders who are ‘appalled and upset’ following the long-awaited publication of the Sue Gray report.
The long-awaited report into Lockdown-violating parties and drinking sessions in Number 10 Downing Street has revealed that raucous get togethers resulted in ‘multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff’.
Jim commented: “At a time when many cleaning and hygiene operational staff were putting themselves at risk to maintain high standards of hygiene and ensure that key workers and the public were safe and well during the pandemic, it is absolutely appalling and upsetting to hear that they were being treated with such contempt by people who sit within Government or the civil service, and who frankly should know better.
“Cleaning staff are hardworking, professional, and deserve to be respected in their vital work, just like anyone one else, and certainly how the people concerned would expect to be treated.
“In some parts of the cleaning industry, the demand for increased standards of hygiene during the pandemic has combined with severe staff shortages to drive many colleagues close to breaking point.
“The Prime Minister himself thanked cleaning staff in Parliament and now we are subjected to the contents of Sue Gray’s report. Which one are we to believe? What cleaning staff need is support and recognition from the Government, not to be treated with such arrogance or disrespect.
“In that respect, we wish to engage with the Government and actually see what the claim that ‘steps have been taken’ really means in detail. We will be formally requesting a meeting to have such engagement and discussion.”
