Cleaner Sues Law Firm After Company Sack Her For Taking Leftover Sandwich From Canteen

A cleaner in the UK is taking legal action against a law firm in London after she was fired from her job for taking a leftover tuna sandwich from the company’s canteen. Gabriela Rodriguez, who is a migrant worker from Ecuador cleaned the offices of Devonshires Solicitors for two years. As per The Guardian, the contractor Total Clean which employed Rodriguez sacked her just before Christmas 2023 after they received a complaint from Devonshires Solicitors that leftover sandwiches were being taken. Rodriguez was sacked for “taking client property without authority or reasonable excuse”.

While speaking to The Guardian, Rodriguez said that it was common for staff members to take leftovers from canteens. She said, “On a normal day, some sandwiches were left in the canteen after meetings of lawyers; it was a common practice for people to help themselves for lunchtime. It was almost at the end of my shift – quarter to two in the afternoon – and I took one and put it in the fridge. A week later, I was called 15 minutes before the end of my shift. I was then suspended without pay pending further investigation.”

The United Voices of the World Union (UVW) protested outside Devonshires Solicitors offices on Valentine’s Day as they demanded Rodriguez be reinstated. The protestors bought over 100 cans of tuna, and 300 hand-wrapped sandwiches at the protest. They also carried heart shaped balloons and ‘love letters’ of support for Rodriguez.

Petros Elia, the general secretary of UVW, said that migrant workers are routinely exploited and discriminated against by companies. She added, “We are taking both Total Clean and Devonshires Solicitors to an employment tribunal. For Total Clean, the claims are for unfair dismissal and direct race discrimination. For Devonshires Solicitors the claims are for direct and/or indirect race discrimination.”

A Total Clean spokesperson told the Guardian that they took all steps in “accordance with UK employment law following the proper investigative and disciplinary process”. The company refused to make any more comments on the matter.

A spokesperson for Devonshires Solicitors distanced themselves from the matter and said that they never made any “formal complaint against Gabriela and expressly told Total Clean not to take any action against her”. The law firm said that the dispute was a private matter between Total Clean and Gabriela and added that they have no problem with Gabriela working for them again.