Taken to the cleaners

THOMAS Cook agents have been told to clean their own shops following the axeing of cleaners in more than half its retail network.

From next month agents in 317 stores will be expected to clean communal areas, including the toilet, while the remaining 228 shops will have a reduced cleaning service. A £250 sweetener has been offered for adopting cleaning responsibilities.

The cost-cutting is designed to help Thomas Cook’s retail division meet financial targets in what the company described as a “challenging” trading environment, despite recording record profits last year. The cleaning contract was worth more than £2 million a year.

In a memo to shops, retail director Simon Robinson said achieving the division’s targets “at the midway part of the year is delicately balanced”.

“Not achieving our targets is not an option,” he added.

Thomas Cook claimed it had consulted retail managers and the majority of employees have reacted positively to the change.

However, Travel Weekly received an anonymous letter from an angry Thomas Cook agent who claimed cleaners were paid more than agents, something Thomas Cook said could not be substantiated.

“Soon Thomas Cook will no longer have any experienced dedicated staff, we will all go and get a cleaning job on £8 an hour,” the agent said.

Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association travel negotiator Rick Justham refuted Thomas Cook’s claim that regional managers backed the move.

“Thomas Cook must be talking to different managers than me,” he said. “I have not had one come to me supporting it.”

The company claimed it will still have more contract shop cleaning than its big four rivals. Going Places ditched cleaners in its smaller stores in 2000 and the other chains have since followed suit to differing degrees.

Justham said he was “disappointed Thomas Cook was following the bad practices of its competitors”.

The union is investigating whether staff on existing contracts can be compelled to take on cleaning duties.