Cross-party parliamentarians demand halt to 'rushed' cleaning cuts in Parliament

More than 70 MPs and peers from across political parties have signed an open letter demanding that House authorities pause the redundancy process being driven through by Churchill Cleaning the outsourced contractor responsible for cleaning the Parliamentary Estate.

More than 70 MPs and peers from across political parties have signed an open letter demanding that House authorities pause the redundancy process being driven through by Churchill Cleaning the outsourced contractor responsible for cleaning the Parliamentary Estate.

The letter warns that the proposals will see approximately 47 cleaners lose their jobs, with over 1,100 hours of cleaning cut every week and weekday cleaning reduced by 36%. It comes less than two years after a previous round of redundancies that had already cut the headcount by 18.

The signatories warn that Churchill is rushing the process through without proper scrutiny. They point to the absence of any detailed business case beyond the company's aim to save more than £1 million this year, no meaningful consideration of voluntary redundancies, and no viable plan for maintaining cleaning standards once the hours are stripped out.

The letter also warns that Churchill's 'last in, first out' approach falls hardest on younger workers and staff from ethnic minority backgrounds. Churchill cleaners are the most ethnically diverse workforce in Parliament, yet because they are outsourced they do not appear anywhere in Parliament's ethnicity pay gap reporting. No Equality Impact Assessment has been provided.

Names are still being added, with more parliamentarians backing the call every day.

Dan Anderson, GMB Regional Organiser, said:

"Churchill cleaners are the people who keep Parliament running, often for low pay and with little recognition. Now they are being told that around 1 in 3 of them will lose their jobs.

"This is the second round of cuts in two years. Churchill has produced no proper business case no service delivery plan and no Equality Impact Assessment, and it is refusing to seriously consider voluntary redundancies.

"The workforce cleaning Parliament is the most ethnically diverse on the Estate, yet because they are outsourced they don't appear in Parliament's own pay gap reporting. A last in, first out process risks stripping that diversity away without leaving a trace in the figures

"Parliament should be the best employer in the country and not be hiding behind a contractor cutting corners. More than 70 MPs and peers from every party now agree, and more are signing every day.

"We are asking the House authorities to do the right thing, step in and pause this process before lasting damage is done."