The British Cleaning Council has given full support to comments made by Chartered Business Institute Director-General, John Cridland, in his New Years address that the number of people working for the minimum wage is a “serious challenge” and should be addressed by the business community and government.

Mr Cridland warned business leaders and the government not to “rest on our laurels” and to use the emerging recovery to address career opportunities and staff wages. He also made comments on the responsibility of the business community to the unemployment rate of young people in the UK, and the need to help as many as possible into the world of work.

British Cleaning Council Chairman, Douglas Cooke, said: “The British Cleaning Council are in full support of the CBI Director General’s recent words. Our work to support the living wage, enforcement of the minimum wage, and the encouragement of training and development are in step with his announcement.”

“We must do everything we can to improve conditions and opportunities for staff in our sector. As the economy returns to buoyancy, it’s likely that we will be faced with a candidate-led market. As the cleaning sector changes and grows, we need to be a first choice for new talent and fresh ideas, rather than a last resort. The industry has made many steps towards implementation of higher wages, daytime and full time hours, and creating careers rather than jobs, but there is much more to do. The BCC offers grants to members to support the cleaning industry – now is the time to take advantage of that opportunity and push the industry forward.”

To find out more about the British Cleaning Council’s grants system, please go to www.britishcleaningcouncil.org

To read the CBI New Year Message click here.