THE ROYAL PARKS faces a landmark legal challenge after being accused of indirect race discrimination against black and minority-ethnic outsourced cleaners, their union United Voices of the World (UVW) said yesterday.

Set up by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), the charity is tasked with the administration of eight London parks. 

The challenge will contend that while outsourced cleaners, who are overwhelmingly black African migrants, are on minimum terms and conditions, the 90 per cent white in-house staff are given generous conditions and benefits, amounting to indirect racial discrimination under the Equalities Act.

One worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We’ve been treated like dirt by [outsourcing company] Vinci and [The Royal Parks]. 

“We never get paid properly, and what we do get paid is really far below the other workers. This isn’t fair. We’ve had enough.”

The DCMS would not comment on the case involving the independent charity, which will be heard at the central London employment tribunal.

A Royal Parks statement said that all in-house staff were recruited through an “open, transparent and fair process” and that contracted staff were employed by “a number of companies, including Vinci.”