64 Cleaners at the Department for Work and Pensions have left a letter over night on Iain Duncan Smith's desk calling for the Living Wage to be implemented in Whitehall.
London is the most expensive place to live in the UK and many people on a minimum wage, like the cleaners at the DWP, find that it is simply not enough to live on.
The letter said
"Every morning we clean these offices and these hallways. Our hard work helps you to do your job properly and comfortably... However because of our pay, we are struggling every day to buy the things we need."
The cleaners' letter was co ordinated by London Citizens who campaign for a living wage of £8.30 for all employees in London. Matthew Bolton, a campaigner at London Citizens says:
"We believe that IDS does want to make work pay, and a lot of his policies are committed that way, to improve the incentive to work and make sure people can provide for their families. So adopting the Living Wage would be a clear demonstration of that commitment, and that would help us encourage other government departments to do the right thing too".
You can view a news item recorded by Channel 4 News which includes an interview with one of the cleaners here