The Christian owner of an award-winning cleaning agency in London is campaigning for better pay and conditions for cleaners.
Antoinette Daniel, a former PE teacher who founded Just Helpers in 2012, said she was shocked to hear first-hand accounts of bad practices in the cleaning sector, including low pay, late pay and sexual exploitation.
Her initiative has been highlighted by the Jubilee Centre, an organisation which pursues a Biblical vision for economic justice, and which is currently exploring the role of Christians in shaping ‘good business’ in the UK today.
Daniel said: As a child, justice (or championing the underdog) was always something I vowed to fight for, and has been a thread in my life.’
Her vision is to see every cleaner in the UK earn at least the real living wage. Her 51 cleaners – all self-employed – are paid at least the London living wage (currently £11.05 per hour). Daniel, who is supported by the Jubilee Centre, also includes holiday pay for her cleaners.
Her business model has proved successful and she now has more than 500 customers willing to pay more for a fairer deal.
She also wants to show that an ethical cleaning business can be commercially viable and is working towards building a business that can be a model for reform. However, Daniel accepts the need for a larger shift in the marketplace.
She added: ‘There are many verses about paying wages in a timely manner in the Bible. One of my drivers is in Malachi 3:5. … As I read my Bible day by day, I’m reminded that [love] is nothing new.
‘And so I continue to take my lead from those influences around me pushing for sustainable change for the good of us all, but most importantly from the life of Jesus that I see reflected back at me in the Bible.’
The Jubilee Centre has recently set out a new plan for ‘change in the UK’. Its website says: ‘We are setting out a vision – firmly based on Biblical principles – for how our nation’s businesses and economy can deliver greater economic justice, a strong society and environmental flourishing. We believe that purpose-driven businesses can be a force for good. It can be a beautiful thing. We believe that the church can play a significant role in a 21st-century wave of renewal for our economy and society.’
