AS the new school term gets underway, school cleaners and janitors employed across South Ayrshire by the local schools contractor, Mitie, are taking to the streets to campaign against their second-class treatment by Mitie and the local council.

GMB Scotland, the union for school support staff, is stepping up its campaign for a Living Wage for school cleaners - a campaign it has been supporting for a number of years.

Mitie maintain Prestwick Academy, Belmont Academy, Barassie, Monkton and Alloway Primary Schools.

The GMB is also demanding that janitors working in local schools, which are operated on behalf of North, South and East Ayrshire councils by Mitie, are paid at least the same as council employed janitors.

Members of the public across Ayrshire will be asked to sign petitions backing the cleaners and janitors at special street stalls organised by the union in Kilmarnock, Ayr and Irvine over the next few weeks. 

The GMB says that low paid, predominantly women, workers are being treated as second class citizens with the ‘full knowledge of the political leadership of local councils’. 

In a statement, the union said: “School cleaners employed by Mitie are paid nearly £1 below the Scottish Living Wage, currently £8.75 an hour, which is paid as a minimum to every other council worker. 

“Many of these workers transferred to Mitie’s employment from the local council but have seen their pay erode year on year compared to their colleagues, doing the same jobs, and still employed by the council. 

“There are even examples of women working in school kitchens and also as school cleaners who see their rate of pay drop when they change a council overall for a Mitie one.”

GMB Scotland Organiser, Benny Rankin, added: “The time has come to pay up what is owed. We are asking local people to get behind these cleaners and janitors and to help us end poverty pay in our local schools.”