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M Industry News Are you looking for a contract cleaner? Take a look at C&M’s new, updated website:www.cleaningmag.com


Coalition threatens outsourced workers’ benefits


The government is ‘minded’ to scrap an informal code guaranteeing public sector benefits for thousands of outsourced private sector jobs. The proposal, aimed at cutting the cost of outsourc- ing from everything from cleaning to health and waste management, was raised by the new Cabinet Office min- ister Francis Maude. More than a third of all public services, totaling £80 billion a year, are currently delivered by the private and voluntary sectors. As the coalition government seeks to extract ‘more for less’ from public spending, it is looking to increase the use of outsourcing on reduced terms.


The move is likely to meet resistance from both


employees and unions. It also brought a guarded welcome


from employers, some of whom believe it will lead to individuals doing the same job in the same company for differing rates of pay and benefits.


Mark Woodhead, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said: “The rationale behind this move is that we need the public sector to deliver things more efficiently. But that does not necessarily have to mean the erosion of the terms and conditions of workers. While it is clear that we are living in different times that will require many of us to be more flexible about how we operate, having workers doing the same job on vastly different rates of pay cannot be a recipe for a motivated and happy workforce.” www.


britishcleaningcouncil.org Cresswell crowned champions


A team from Cresswell, the South London based cleaning and facilities management company, smashed the competition to win the overall trophy at a recent Dragon Boat Racing Regatta in London.


Active in its corporate social


responsibility and sustainability projects, Cresswell is ISO14001:2004 certified and encourages staff to give up valuable time to support fund raising projects and charity events. Previous events have included a 5km run to raise money for Trees for Cities.


Racing head to head in a 30ft Hong Kong style Dragon boat where the drummer beats out a rhythm for the 10 paddlers has become a regular event in support of The Anthony Nolan Trust which provides lifesaving donors for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. The Cresswell Crusaders team of 11 entered for the very first time and, after a slow start in the first race, gained momentum, finishing with the fastest overall time in heats. The team then went on to win the semi-finals and finally beat the Virgin Active team in the final to become champions of the whole event. www.cresswellservices.co.uk


Proventec reaches restructuring agreement


Further to recent announcements regarding the capital restructur- ing of Proventec Plc, Thomas Stücken, chief commercial officer, has announced that the company has now reached an agreement in principle for a comprehensive capital restructuring with the repre- sentatives of the loan notes. The highlights of the agreement are that the prior debt will largely be converted into equity and there will be a cash injection of £2.5 million. Proventec plc is the group parent of cleaning industry brand names Contico, OspreyDeepclean, Frank, and Proventec Healthcare, as well as a small number of other specialist non-cleaning industry companies. Stücken said: “The new development in fact will create a near debt free company with a clean balance sheet and demonstrates the support of the financial market in Proventec Plc and provides a platform from which to continue the growth of the company. This will enable the business to leverage its unique proposition as a leading provider of integrated hygiene systems to the UK and indeed the global markets.”


It is likely that the restructuring will require the approval of shareholders and it is the intention of the board that, if so required, an appropriate circular to shareholders calling a general meeting of the company will be sent out as soon as possible. The healthcare division of the group recently received a Framework Agreement from the NHS Supply Chain for cleaning brushes, mops, buckets and associated products, valued at £4 million. This follows another recent tender award from the Scottish NHS. www.proventecplc.com


Asian superbug poses new threat to antibiotics


Scientists have announced that a new drug-resistant bacteria, NDM-1, has emerged. They also warned that international travel and medical tourism may have helped aid the spread of the new superbug, which could lead to the end of antibiotics. According to an article published in the medical journal The Lancet, NDM-1 initially spread in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but it was also found in 37 patients from the UK who travelled to Asia for medical procedures such as cosmetic surgery. "The potential of NDM-1 to become a worldwide public health problem is great, making the role of hygiene even more important in our daily lives,” said Mark Woodhead, chairman of the British Cleaning Council. “Regular hand-washing and surface cleaning are two of the simplest but most effective ways to halt the spread of germs."


Andrew Large, chief executive of the CSSA, stressed the importance of general cleanliness in hospital environments: “The everyday cleaning that takes place in hospitals becomes absolutely critical when the threat of new superbug arises. As well as demanding extra care from members of the public towards their own hygiene, we ask that the NHS guarantee that hospital cleaning does not suffer at this critical time as result of the financial pressures facing the health service.” www.britishcleaningcouncil.org


Clean Sweep UK celebrates anniversary


Clean Sweep UK is celebrat- ing its first three years in business supplying cleaning machines for hire across the UK. Clean Sweep UK was set up in 2007 by MD Steve Dennis who had spent most of his career in the tool hire sector.


Dennis researched the cleaning sector and soon established that most suppliers were regional. It was difficult to find a company with stock available who could deliver anywhere in the UK for a fixed price. The range of machines was critical, as was availability and the ability to deliver and provide service anywhere in the UK.


4 C&M September 2010


He said: “I knew from my time in tool hire that multiple machine manufacturers would lead to complexity in the business. I wanted to find one manufacturer whose range encompassed all requirements; quality was of the utmost importance.” Clean Sweep UK forged a partnership with Nilfisk Advance early in 2007 and has not looked back since. The Clean Sweep


operation today covers all of the UK and offers everything from industrial vacuums to road sweepers. Fast moving units include scrubber dryers, steam cleaners and carpet care equipment.


www.cleansweephire.co.uk


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