Kinsley cleaners '˜sacked' before Christmas after strike over pay

Leslie Leake, Marice Hall and Karen McGee walked out for 68 days in a dispute with C&D Cleaning Services Ltd.

Their stand against alleged pay cuts and reductions in sickness and holiday entitlement sparked a campaign backed by Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, comedian Mark Thomas and Hemsworth MP Jon Trickett.

Earlier this month they returned to work after talks were held with ACAS.

But it is understood that the women have now been sacked following a disciplinary hearing.

Unison claimed that C&D Cleaning cut the cleaners’ pay after taking over the cleaning of the school, on Wakefield Road, Fitzwilliam, from Wakefield Council last April.

In November, it emerged that Wakefield Council did not tell C&D about an agreement to pay the cleaners the local living wage of £7.85 an hour when it transferred their jobs to the private firm.

C&D said steps had been taken to pay the cleaners any monies owed.

The company said at the time: “Had C&D Cleaning been provided with the correct information when first requested, it is unlikely that there would have been any dispute.”

Jeremy Corbyn condemned the treatment of the cleaners.

Jon Trickett tweeted: “With only days til Christmas it looks like Scrooge has been brought back to life from Victorian times.”

C&D Cleaning Services is yet to comment on reports that the cleaners have been dismissed.