REMOVING RUBBISH BAGS FROM THE office in Finsbury Circus - a towering ring of neoclassical buildings that sits at the heart of London's financial district-formed a key part of Gabriela Rodriguez's daily duties. So did wiping surfaces, scrubbing dishes in the kitchen, restocking basic supplies and all the other quietly essential activities that enable a busy workplace to function. "I'm proud of my job... and I take it very seriously," she says. Which is why, when the call from. her manager flashed up unexpectedly on her mobile last November, nothing about it seemed to make any sense.
"He ordered me to come back inside and hand over my security pass immediately," she says. Rodriguez was at a loss, until the words "theft of property" were mentioned - an act of gross misconduct, and a criminal offence under English law. "That's when it began to dawn on me," she says, shaking her head. "This was about a leftover piece of bread. And I was going to be dismissed for it."
The call was the beginning of a journey that would rearrange her life completely: plunging her family into financial uncertainty, but also casting her as a hero for lowpaid workers across the country who are being forced out of their jobs for the tiniest, most trivial of misdemeanours.
"There are so many stories like mine that most people never get to hear," Rodriguez says. "And in most cases, the people involved are staying silent because of their vulnerability, and their fear." That omertà, however, could finally be about to break. Because Rodriguez - who earlier this year led a protest rally at Finsbury Circus that involved the tongue-in-cheek delivery of 100 cans of tuna and 300 sandwiches to the foyer of the prestigious law firm from which she'd been barred - has decided not to remain silent. Alongside a small army of cleaners, caterers, security guards and other outsourced workers toiling in the underbelly of Britain, this 39-year-old single mother is fighting back.
Denne historien er fra August 09, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra August 09, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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When it comes to a good savoury crumble it's all down to the detail
\"Savoury crumbles are a really good idea, so I don't get why we don't make them more often,\" says Esther Clark, who writes The Good Home Cook Substack. As Clark notes: \"Crumbles are incredibly forgiving: they go into one tin, there's barely any washing-up, and they freeze well, making them a good weeknight number.\"
Generation game An American's view of life in China during the turbulent Covid years, through the eyes of his curious, jaded students
When Peter Hessler, the celebrated chronicler of Chinese society, arrived at Sichuan University in the autumn of 2019, he was expecting to take a break from writing. Hessler made his name as a journalist documenting the lives of everyday people during China's boom years in the early 2000s.
Claims to fame Will this sympathetic biography of a failed pop star help its enigmatic protagonist find the status his stoicism deserves?
In 2004, the British journalist Chris Heath spent more than a year shadowing Robbie Williams's every movement for his book on the singer, Feel. If this was above and beyond the usual requirements of a biographer, you could see why he thought it might pay off. We tend to be fascinated by success, and the cost that fame can exact upon the individual. And so who better to take such an approach with than both the biggest pop star of his generation and the most self-critical?
Heartfelt home truth An extraordinary portrait of a 1950s American housewife, based on the diaries of Will Self's mother in an act of filial generosity
Will Self has a history of gonzo premises. He has written novels set in the afterlife, in a world ruled by chimpanzees, in a post-apocalyptic society based on the misogynist rantings of a London cabby.
'My dance is a kind of prayer'
After success in France, choreographer Qudus Onikeku has returned to Nigeria to bring new life to Lagos's dance scene and to mastermind a pan-African creative awakening
The lighter side of grief A romcom where love never dies
Marrying your dead fiance may be taboo, but Colin Hanks and director Daniel Reisinger hope their new film will help those coming to terms with their own loss
Look who's back in anger
Will an Oasis reunion be a success? Definitely. Will it be worth it? Maybe, say Guardian arts writers
Voters rejected Macron. Why is he still trying to dictate who governs us?
After the electoral turbulence of June and July, few in France imagined that we would be heading into September without a new prime minister appointed to reflect the results of July's parliamentary elections.
Forget the clothes-eating critters-we should love moths in all their beauty
Let me start with a confession: I love moths. If your instant reaction to that statement is a shudder and expression of dislike (or worse), be assured that you're not alone. It is the commonest response I get. But moths are extremely important and beautiful creatures, and we should all love them.
Is Starmer's 'reset' with Europe enough to undo Brexit damage?
Every prime minister has their verbal tell-tales. \"Reset\" is a favourite Starmerism. When he visited Berlin last week to pave the way to a bilateral co-operation treaty, the prime minister said he was there as part of a \"wider reset\" in Britain's relations with Europe. There was the same message when he journeyed on to Paris for a grip, grin and chat with Emmanuel Macron. I see why he's fond of the word. \"Reset\" conveys new thinking, a fresh start and altered priorities, while being conveniently vague about the direction of travel or the ultimate destination.
