A cleaner was sacked on the grounds of ‘theft’ for eating a leftover tuna sandwich as she cleaned the offices of a top London law firm, it has been claimed.
Gabriela Rodriguez, a single mother from Ecuador who worked for agency Total Clean, spent two years cleaning the City headquarters of solicitors Devonshires.
But she was reportedly dismissed from her £13-an-hour job by Total Clean shortly before Christmas, after she ate a tuna sandwich that had been left over following a lawyers’ lunch.
According to legal news website RollOnFriday, it was a Tesco sandwich that cost around £1.50, and it was destined to be thrown away. Some reports claim the sandwich contained egg, not tuna.
Ms Rodriguez, 39, is now reportedly suing Total Clean for unfair dismissal.
Total Clean - which provides cleaning services for commercial and office spaces across London - described the allegations against it as “misleading and inaccurate” and maintained it has acted in accordance with employment law.
300 tuna sandwiches and 100 cans of tuna. That’s what we brought to city law firm, Devonshire Solicitors, to protest the sacking of Gabriela, an outsourced migrant cleaner and UVW member on grounds of "theft" of a £1.50 Tesco tuna sandwich.#tunagate pic.twitter.com/9Z7Cil69Ws
— United Voices of the World (@UVWunion) February 19, 2024
Some of Ms Rodriguez’s colleagues have protested at Devonshires’ office near Moorgate.
On X, union United Voices of the World (UVW), which represents low-paid and migrant workers, shared footage of protesters carrying cardboard signs saying ‘sacked for a tuna sandwich’ and ‘we are not the dirt we clean’.
The union said it took 300 tuna sandwiches and 100 cans of tuna to Devonshires’ office as part of the action.
In a post on Facebook, UVW said: “Sacking cleaners on ridiculous grounds like this - treating them like the dirt they clean - is not uncommon though is always outrageous and in UVW we always fight back.
“We are taking the case to court but that takes time, and justice delayed is justice denied, so in the meantime we'll be doing what we do best and fighting back through direct action.”
A Total Clean spokesperson said in a statement: “While we would not typically comment on personnel issues, we would like to address the misleading and inaccurate information that is being alleged by our ex-employee.
“It is important to us to maintain the integrity of our workforce and service by ensuring we deal appropriately with any actions that undermine the hard work and reputation of our incredible team who conduct themselves impeccably. Trust and honesty is of paramount importance.
“All steps taken have been in accordance with UK employment law following the proper investigative and disciplinary process. We will be making no further comment on the matter.”
A Devonshires spokesperson said the firm did not make a “formal complaint” against Ms Rodriguez.
They added that Devonshires “expressly told Total Clean not to take any action against her”.
“Total Clean carried out their own investigation and the decision to dismiss Gabriela was taken without any input or influence from Devonshires whatsoever,” said the spokesperson.
“This is a private matter between Total Clean and Gabriela but we have made clear to Total Clean that we would not object, as we never have done, to Gabriela attending and working on our premises if Total Clean changes its position.”
