Wimbledon cleaners treated like 'pack of rats' at tournament

Cleaners who worked during the Wimbledon tennis tournament say they were forced to eat food from rubbish bins because they were given insufficient funds from the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), according to a report in the Guardian.

The staff, who were employed by LSS, a subsidiary of Compass, also said they had to crouch in corridors during their breaks due to a lack of official resting areas and insufficient time during the competition. Compass employs about 1,800 people at Wimbledon.

The workers claim that AELTC – who provide cleaning staff with meal allowances, and work with contractors to agree rates, shift rotations and rest days - did not provide them with enough money for food during their daily shifts.

“Cleaning staff who regularly work 15 hours a day receive £11.50 [for food] and get a one-hour break a day,” a housekeeper who has worked at Wimbledon for three years said.