THE charity responsible for running the Queen’s parks in London is facing a groundbreaking legal challenge over discrimination against black cleaners. 

The legal action is being brought by an outsourced cleaner at Regents Park, one of several favourite London green spaces run by the Royal Parks. 

The claimant argues that the decision to outsource her on a contract with inferior terms and conditions to in-house staff — of whom 90 per cent are white — was unlawful. 

The claim hinges on the Royal Parks’ obligation to consider how its policies affect ethnic minorities.

Though the charity is a private limited company, cleaners’ union United Voices of the World argues that as an organisation carrying out a public service, Royal Parks is subject to a public-sector equality duty established under the Equality Act (2010). 

The union claims the charity did not meet this duty because it “failed to give due regard to the discriminatory effect of operating a double standard on terms and conditions between directly employed and outsourced staff.”

UVW head of legal services Richard O’Keeffe said: “It is not uncommon for public-sector bodies to be challenged by way of judicial review when they make unlawful decisions in respect of workers’ terms and conditions. 

“The situation should be no different when they make unlawful decisions affecting the livelihoods of their outsourced workforces — cleaners, security guards and so on.”

In 2019, Royal Parks agreed to increase the pay of outsourced workers, who are predominantly black and ethnic minorities, to the London living wage following a wave of co-ordinated strikes. 

But UVW argues that terms and conditions of outsourced workers are still inferior to in-house staff, who receive enhanced annual leave as well as better sick pay, maternity pay and employer pension contributions, the union said. 

The claimant is being represented by the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), which launched a crowdfunder today to cover legal costs. 

PILC paralegal Saskia O’Hara said: “The Royal Parks charity cannot go unchallenged when they shirk their responsibilities to eliminate discrimination while exercising their public function. 

“PILC are proud to stand behind this brave migrant worker in her legitimate battle for equality and justice.”

A spokesperson for The Royal Parks, said: “We are aware that, with the assistance of a trade union UVW, a cleaner employed by one of our contractors has brought a legal claim against The Royal Parks. Cleaning services, and many other services integral to maintaining the parks, have been contracted out for many years and the terms and conditions of staff employed by our contractors are a matter for their employers, not The Royal Parks”.