Almost 140,000 people have signed a petition demanding that retailer John Lewis pay its cleaners a living wage of £7.85 an hour. Despite the John Lewis Partnership - which made a £424million profit last year - offering competitive benefits and a bonus scheme, cleaners are employed by an external contractor and are not paid the same as staff at the company's stores. Last month MailOnline reported that protesters supporting the petition were arrested as they took part in a demonstration at the flagship John Lewis store in London. Scroll down for video . Almost 140,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org (pictured) which is demanding that John Lewis pay its cleaners a living wage of £7.85 an hour - well above the UK minimum wage of £6.50 . The protest was part of an on-going campaign by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), who want the cleaners to receive the same benefits as John Lewis Partnership staff. IWGB argue that the Living Wage is £7.85 in the UK and £9.15 in London - in comparison to the actual minimum wage of £6.50. The petition, on website Change.org, states: ‘John Lewis brands itself as a company that is committed to treating its suppliers, customers and partners with fairness. ‘But it has contracted out its cleaning services. Its cleaners receive less than the living wage and are not entitled to the bonus payments paid to directly employed staff. ‘Given John Lewis’s impressive profit levels, it is very troubling that it refuses to show moral leadership and pay its cleaners the living wage.’ The company's flagship John Lewis store on Oxford Street, London, which was the scene of a heated protest last month - campaigners supporting the petition stormed the shop and demanded fair pay for cleaners . Jane Lambert, a John Lewis customer, set up the petition after reading an article which said that despite recording impressive profit levels, the company did not pay cleaners a living wage. She told MailOnline today: ‘I was hoping there would be a good response, and there has been. ‘We’ve had 10,000 new signatures over the last week or so, so momentum is growing. ‘We are next hoping to set up a network of local groups to raise the profile of the petition. ‘I think the petition is potentially quite a powerful weapon because it’s a good way or communicating and it does put pressure on John Lewis. ‘They pride themselves on being ethical and fair retailers and this does not fit with that ethic really. ‘Talking to customers coming out of the store, most customers were not aware that John Lewis does not pay a living wage and were quite shocked. 'I think if we are able to raise the profile of the petition and get a lot more signatures, that can only help in terms of putting pressure on John Lewis.’ The group also want cleaners to be included in the partnership's annual bonus scheme and given the same rights as other workers. The John Lewis Partnership, which employs around 90,000 people, says while it believes in fair pay, it cannot enforce pay levels well above market rates on the contractors it uses. John Lewis Partnership is owned by a trust on behalf of all its employees, who are known as partners. It runs the John Lewis department stores as well as Waitrose supermarkets. Partners have a say in how the company is run, as well as a share of the annual profits through a bonus scheme. It is one of the largest private companies in the UK. Last year partners received a bonus of 15 per cent of their annual salary- equivalent to almost eight weeks' pay. John Lewis Partnership employs around 90,000 people.Cleaners are employed by an external contractor but IWGB Union wants them to receive the same benefits as John Lewis partnership staff. John Lewis spokesman Neil Spring said: 'We share the Living Wage campaign’s objectives to pay employees fairly, but we also think that outsourcing is a perfectly legitimate business function; that pay is rightly a core responsibility of the individual employer; and that the issue of low pay in the UK and the solution, is much more complex than raising a higher wage floor. 'Within the Partnership, our policy is to pay the market rate for a job and as much above that as can be justified by performance. 'Our pay ranges typically extend further than those in many of our competitors. 'On top of that our Partners receive a share of our profits as well as other benefits such as a final salary pension. 'We don’t believe it is appropriate, therefore, for us to set pay rates well above market levels for subcontractors or suppliers, particularly as it would be inconsistent with the broader pay and reward policy we adopt for 90,000 of our own Partners.' In December police were called after a group of chanting protesters descended on the John Lewis Oxford Street store in London. The incident took place as dozens of customers were doing their Christmas shopping on one of the busiest weekends of the year. At least one protester was bundled to the floor as officers tried to contain demonstrators and get them to leave the busy shop. The flagship branch of John Lewis in Oxford Street, London, which protesters stormed in December . One shopper, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's bad enough shopping in Oxford Street two Saturdays before Christmas without a load of idiots coming between you and the kitchenware section. 'It was absolutely packed in there and so when they started shouting I think the staff panicked a bit and then before we knew it there a load of police officers descended on the place. 'They were trying to get them to leave but the protesters were having none of it.' Some demonstrators were seen hanging banners over the railings which said: 'Justice for the Cleaners' and going down the escalators blowing horns. Other campaigners were seen holding boards which said: 'John Lewis your customers say pay your cleaners the living wage.'
Petition is campaigning for cleaners at company to be paid the living wage .
Living wage is hourly rate calculated according to basic cost of living .
Petition has amassed almost 140,000 signatures from people backing move .
Last month protesters were arrested when they stormed flagship store .
Cleaners are employed by an external contractor and do not receive the same benefits and annual bonuses as John Lewis Partnership staff .
But company says issue of low pay is more complex than  raising wages .
Last year the under-fire firm made an operating profit of £424million .
Almost 140,000 people have signed a petition demanding that retailer John Lewis pay its cleaners a living wage of £7.85 an hour. Despite the John Lewis Partnership - which made a £424million profit last year - offering competitive benefits and a bonus scheme, cleaners are employed by an external contractor and are not paid the same as staff at the company's stores. Last month MailOnline reported that protesters supporting the petition were arrested as they took part in a demonstration at the flagship John Lewis store in London. Scroll down for video . Almost 140,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org (pictured) which is demanding that John Lewis pay its cleaners a living wage of £7.85 an hour - well above the UK minimum wage of £6.50 . The protest was part of an on-going campaign by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), who want the cleaners to receive the same benefits as John Lewis Partnership staff. IWGB argue that the Living Wage is £7.85 in the UK and £9.15 in London - in comparison to the actual minimum wage of £6.50. The petition, on website Change.org, states: ‘John Lewis brands itself as a company that is committed to treating its suppliers, customers and partners with fairness. ‘But it has contracted out its cleaning services. Its cleaners receive less than the living wage and are not entitled to the bonus payments paid to directly employed staff. ‘Given John Lewis’s impressive profit levels, it is very troubling that it refuses to show moral leadership and pay its cleaners the living wage.’ The company's flagship John Lewis store on Oxford Street, London, which was the scene of a heated protest last month - campaigners supporting the petition stormed the shop and demanded fair pay for cleaners . Jane Lambert, a John Lewis customer, set up the petition after reading an article which said that despite recording impressive profit levels, the company did not pay cleaners a living wage. She told MailOnline today: ‘I was hoping there would be a good response, and there has been. ‘We’ve had 10,000 new signatures over the last week or so, so momentum is growing. ‘We are next hoping to set up a network of local groups to raise the profile of the petition. ‘I think the petition is potentially quite a powerful weapon because it’s a good way or communicating and it does put pressure on John Lewis. ‘They pride themselves on being ethical and fair retailers and this does not fit with that ethic really. ‘Talking to customers coming out of the store, most customers were not aware that John Lewis does not pay a living wage and were quite shocked. 'I think if we are able to raise the profile of the petition and get a lot more signatures, that can only help in terms of putting pressure on John Lewis.’ The group also want cleaners to be included in the partnership's annual bonus scheme and given the same rights as other workers. The John Lewis Partnership, which employs around 90,000 people, says while it believes in fair pay, it cannot enforce pay levels well above market rates on the contractors it uses. John Lewis Partnership is owned by a trust on behalf of all its employees, who are known as partners. It runs the John Lewis department stores as well as Waitrose supermarkets. Partners have a say in how the company is run, as well as a share of the annual profits through a bonus scheme. It is one of the largest private companies in the UK. Last year partners received a bonus of 15 per cent of their annual salary- equivalent to almost eight weeks' pay. John Lewis Partnership employs around 90,000 people.Cleaners are employed by an external contractor but IWGB Union wants them to receive the same benefits as John Lewis partnership staff. John Lewis spokesman Neil Spring said: 'We share the Living Wage campaign’s objectives to pay employees fairly, but we also think that outsourcing is a perfectly legitimate business function; that pay is rightly a core responsibility of the individual employer; and that the issue of low pay in the UK and the solution, is much more complex than raising a higher wage floor. 'Within the Partnership, our policy is to pay the market rate for a job and as much above that as can be justified by performance. 'Our pay ranges typically extend further than those in many of our competitors. 'On top of that our Partners receive a share of our profits as well as other benefits such as a final salary pension. 'We don’t believe it is appropriate, therefore, for us to set pay rates well above market levels for subcontractors or suppliers, particularly as it would be inconsistent with the broader pay and reward policy we adopt for 90,000 of our own Partners.' In December police were called after a group of chanting protesters descended on the John Lewis Oxford Street store in London. The incident took place as dozens of customers were doing their Christmas shopping on one of the busiest weekends of the year. At least one protester was bundled to the floor as officers tried to contain demonstrators and get them to leave the busy shop. The flagship branch of John Lewis in Oxford Street, London, which protesters stormed in December . One shopper, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's bad enough shopping in Oxford Street two Saturdays before Christmas without a load of idiots coming between you and the kitchenware section. 'It was absolutely packed in there and so when they started shouting I think the staff panicked a bit and then before we knew it there a load of police officers descended on the place. 'They were trying to get them to leave but the protesters were having none of it.' Some demonstrators were seen hanging banners over the railings which said: 'Justice for the Cleaners' and going down the escalators blowing horns. Other campaigners were seen holding boards which said: 'John Lewis your customers say pay your cleaners the living wage.'
the John Lewis Partnership - which made a £424million profit last year - offering are employed by an external contractor and are not paid the same as staff at the company's stores. Last month MailOnline reported that protesters supporting the petition were arrested for video . Almost 140,000 people have signed a cleaners to receive the same benefits as John want cleaners to be included in the partnership's that the issue of low pay in the UK and the solution, is much more complex than raising a cleaners the living wage.'