Low-paid cleaners have accused the Living Wage Foundation of giving accreditation to an “uncaring” outsourcing company paying less than the living wage.

Facilities services giant OCS is accredited under a bespoke scheme for outsourcing firms. But the company has only committed to paying a living wage to its centrally employed staff. The scheme does not cover the majority of OCS’s 50,000 workforce, who are tied to external contracts.

Staff at OCS who clean the British Airways headquarters and its Heathrow offices only receive £11.44 an hour, which is the minimum permitted by the government. Their pay is below the foundation’s current living wage rate of £12.60 across the UK and £13.85 an hour in London.

OCS, which posted UK operating profits of £28.3m in 2023, states on its website it is “championing fair wages” as part of the scheme…

“It is disgraceful that these workers are not being paid a decent wage. Both British Airways and OCS are incredibly wealthy and can fully afford to pay the workers fairly and decently.”

An OCS spokesperson said any claims made are treated seriously…

BA declined to comment.

The Living Wage Foundation said it worked with service providers to drive living wage jobs in some of the lowest-paid sectors…