My name is Alpha Anne. Originally from Mauritania where I fled as a political refugee, I now work as a cleaner at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), where I've been for the past 4 years.   

GOSH treats children from all over the UK and is a world leader in developing treatments for children with some of the most complex conditions. It is one of the biggest heart transplant centres for children in the world and carries out 60% of all UK operations for children with epilepsy. I take great pride in working here. 

Throughout this pandemic, my colleagues and I have been clapped as “heroes” and “Key Workers”, but we are not treated like heroes by GOSH or OCS, the contractor GOSH has outsourced us too. Instead we are treated as "second class" or “just cleaners”.

I don't even get full pay sick pay which means I can't really afford to take sick leave. This means I'm forced to choose between coming to work when sick and sacrificing my health or potentially putting other people's health at risk, or staying home and falling short on my rent and risking being evicted.   

And I get a lot less pay with far worse terms and conditions than I would if I was employed by GOSH. We feel this is unfair and also unlawful discrimination because nearly all the cleaners are Black, Brown and/or migrants. 

That is why we are demanding to be brought in-house and employed directly by GOSH as Equals. All we want is Respect, Dignity and Equality. 

But so far the CEO, Dr Matthew Shaw, and the GOSH Board, are refusing to meet our demands or even sit down and talk to us and our union United Voices of the World.

But you can help. If you sign this petition you'll be letting the CEO Matthew Shaw know we have the public's support and if we were to win the effects would be felt far beyond GOSH. 

Because after all, if what we do as cleaners is essential to the running of Great Ormond Street - and if what cleaners across the NHS do is essential to keeping all NHS hospitals running - there really is no excuse to deny us equality. 

Many thanks.