Cleaning staff at Wimbledon claim they were forced to take food from bins because they were given insufficient money by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to buy lunch and dinner while working.
The staff said they also had to crouch in corridors during their breaks, due to a lack of official break areas and insufficient time for breaks during the tournament, which finished on Sunday.
Some housekeepers, who are employed by LSS, a subsidiary of Compass, claim that AELTC provides insufficient money on their accreditation for food during their daily shifts, which regularly last 15 hours.
Compass employs about 1,800 people at Wimbledon. It operates in 50 countries and also supplies catering services to venues as diverse as oil rigs and school canteens. Last week the Guardian revealed how Wimbledon catering workers are paid the day rate for working night shifts, and earn well below the London living wage.
A housekeeper who has worked at Wimbledon for three years said: “In the last article about FMC, a subsidiary of Compass, the AELTC statement suggested that they meet with companies to discuss pay. The indication we’ve got seems to be the opposite. The AELTC themselves decide certain aspects such as who gets how much money on their accreditation to buy food.
“Cleaning staff who regularly work 15 hours a day receive £11.50 [for food] and get a one-hour break a day. This is utterly insufficient and insulting especially while many staff working shorter hours and much less taxing jobs are receiving up to £30.”
Housekeepers usually start the day at 8am. They will be given an hour-long lunch break some time between midday and 3pm, during which they can spend the money accredited to them by AELTC. They are given no dinner, and no break until they finish at about 10pm.
“Many of us have been reluctant to complain as we know the blame will be passed on to a contractor in order to find a scapegoat, but the problem is ingrained within the AELTC,” added a group of three housekeepers who have worked at Wimbledon for the past two years.
“The club demands that housekeeping staff be seen and not heard. All other companies seem to have official break areas while cleaning staff, who are all just students, are left crouching in corridors behind bins. When staff do find somewhere to have a break, facilities management from the club are swiftly on the scene to move them on like a pack of rats.”
Another housekeeper commented: “It’s not uncommon for us to rely on chefs who are about to throw away food to give us something in the evening. I’ve seen people pick packets of sushi out of bins when it gets really late into a shift.”
An AELTC spokesperson said: “The AELTC values all of the staff who help to deliver the championships and meets annually with each of our major contractors to take their advice and agree on appropriate rates, shift rotations and rest days. Cleaning staff are provided with meal allowances and contracted breaks, which they are welcome to take in staff break areas.”
A spokesperson for LSS said: “People are at the heart of our service. We have robust HR policies and procedures in place and we work with our teams to ensure we deliver them. We acknowledge that during Wimbledon there is a flexible schedule, therefore in addition to employees’ contracted breaks, when extended hours are required, we look to support our colleagues through providing an additional meal allowance and breaks where possible.”
