Nando’s employees in UK allege they clean its restaurants without pay

Employees of restaurant chain Nando’s in the UK have demanded it change its policy on cleaning and pay.

They have started an online petition addressing Colin Hill, chief executive of Nando’s UK and Ireland, and alleging they sometimes have to clean its restaurants without pay.

“Please hire cleaners to help close the UK stores. Pay the cleaners and all Nandocas a living wage of £9 an hour,” the “Nandocas” or Nando’s employees said in the petition.

“Please understand it from our perspective, we work all day on multiple sections then have to stay till 1-3am in the morning cleaning. Especially after an awful busy shift. The shopping centre restaurants have cleaners so why can't all Nando's stores?” reads the petition.

It also urged the Nando’s boss in the UK to hire “professional cleaners for the toilets and floor. Not teenagers who don't know what to do”.

Thousands of people have signed the petition, the BBC reported.

"The managers would clock us out early and not adjust for late stays. If we complained, we were simply told we should have worked faster," people commenting on the petition claimed, according to the report.

BBC talked to five current and former Nando’s employees, one of whom said she had not seen the workers using separate mops to clean toilets and kitchens in the 12 months she had worked there.

"The kitchen staff will close first... they wouldn't really take the time out to use the correct coloured mop," she told the BBC.

Another worker claimed she was required to cook chicken and clean toilets without protection for a week due to a supply issue.

Nando's has around 20,000 staff in over 400 restaurants Britain, according to the BBC.

Nando's said it was its policy to pay employees properly and it upholds the highest cleaning standards.

It admitted most of its branches do not employ dedicated cleaners but described it as standard across the food service industry.