CHRISTMAS came early for cleaners at the exclusive Hurlingham Club in London over the weekend after they secured a pay rise plus festive bonus — and managed to give a bullying boss the boot. 

The cleaners, represented by the United Voice of the World (UVW), won a long-overdue 7.6 per cent pay rise, bringing their earnings up to the London Living Wage of £13.15 per hour.

Staff were also awarded a Christmas bonus for the first time, with some exceeding £1,000 depending on length of service. 

And the workers managed to get a manager, who they had accused of racism and bullying, dismissed. 

The stand-off began when the manager complained that one worker, Akwasi, had peeled and eaten an orange in what she described as an “aggressive and intimidatory” manner.

The union accused the manager of portraying the black worker in infantilising terms, which it said seemed to betray a conscious or unconscious racial prejudice. 

The accused cleaner, who had a clean 20-year record at the club, was suspended and issued a final warning letter. 

This was the final tipping point for the cleaners, who, with the support of UVW, launched a collective grievance against their manager with a long list of complaints about what they felt was abusive behaviour. 

The club sacked the manager and reinstated Akwasi. 

Akwasi said: “The union did a great job supporting our grievance against what we felt was a racist and bullying manager and our demand for a pay rise. 

“We want to keep building our union and recruit more members because community is the best way to fight for your rights. I’d tell other workers, join a union and fight for better terms and conditions.”

The Hurlingham Club has been contacted for comment.