EAST COAST CLEANERS PAY FIGHT

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2013 :: RMTnews 16 Cleaners working for cheapskate contractors ISS on the prestige East Coast Mainline launched 24 hours of rock solid strike action last month as part of the fight for pay justice for cleaners. RMT demonstrations took place at London’s Kings Cross and another in York which marched to the headquarters of the East Coast company demanding that it tells their contractors to secure the living wage. RMT has been campaigning for the ISS cleaners on the East Coast to receive the living wage and for improvements to working conditions and pensions that match the important job they do maintaining the environment on the busy, high profile East Coast Mainline. Despite rounds of rock-solid action, the company remain entrenched and has chosen to adopt an aggressively hostile attitude that has led to the latest action. ISS has no grounds for pleading poverty or for exploiting its own workers. In the year to 31 December 2011 ISS (UK) Limited’s pre-tax profit was £7.543 million. Despite this healthy income, the company has paid only limited amounts of corporation tax. Over the last ten years the company has paid an average of just £41,400 a year in corporation tax. Instead, the profit generated by the workers has been diverted to shareholders. For the past five reported years, ISS (UK) Ltd has paid an average of over £5 million per year in dividends to shareholders. Compare this to gross pay of just £267 a week for a cleaner for a forty hour week, on an hourly rate of £6.67 outside of London compared to the current designated living wage of £7.45. Even after deducting for its liabilities, ISS had total assets of over £129 million. The directors also received £2.265 million in remuneration, up from £2.115 million the year before – a rise of over seven per cent, the highest paid director alone received £620,000. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that members were reacting to the company’s campaign of stalling and provocation that has forced this latest strike. “It is disgraceful behaviour by this global brand where the boardroom is awash with cash and millions is being siphoned off by shareholders that could easily pay the living wage to the East Coast cleaners. “The determination and solidarity shown by RMT cleaners sends out a message that the union is well prepared to step up the fight for cleaners’ pay justice at ISS on the East Coast and across the transport network. “The train operators should be using their clout to force ISS back to the negotiating table to get this dispute resolved. In light of today’s action it is now down to ISS to sit down and work out a solution with us that tackles poverty pay,” he said. EAST COAST CLEANERS PAY FIGHT