Taken to the Cleaners: The Lincolnshire Experience, East Midlands NUPE and NALGO, researched by Services to Community Action & Trade Unions, November 1988

An investigation of the impact of outsourcing school cleaning by Lincolnshire County Council to ISS, the Danish-based multinational cleaning company. The County Council claimed savings of £351,000 but cleaning staff were literally robbed of £450,000 through wage cuts. Visits to schools around the County revealed systemic problems of incomplete and poor quality, high staff turnover and staff shortages, lack of training and inadequate monitoring. Includes an analysis of school cleaning in other local authorities, and commentary on the appraisal, evaluation and monitoring of contracts. Concludes with 16 key lessons (40 pages).