TUBE CLEANERS DEMAND JUSTICE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2017 :: RMTnews 7 RMT held protests outside City Hall in London this month to protest against poor pay and conditions as a result of outsourcing. London Underground has recently consolidated its major cleaning contracts into a single contract, sold to the lowest bidder, US firm ABM. However, as with previous cleaning contracts, the main contractor ABM, will outsource a significant proportion of the work to labour-supply agencies such as AGS People, who pressure cleaners into registering as “self-employed”, or “limited liability companies” of one person, in order to avoid upholding their statutory rights. Cleaners have no company sick pay and, unlike other Tube staff, do not have travel passes to allow them to freely use the system they help run. RMT is fighting back against injustice and wants London Underground to follow the example of the London School of Economics by ending outsourcing and bringing cleaning services back in-house. RMT LUL regional organiser John Leach said that the union had already secured a provision within the contract that by the end of next year ABM had to directly employ 95 per cent of cleaners directly and the eradication of zero-hours contracts. “As a result the union has gained collective bargaining rights for the workforce giving the union the opportunity to organise these workers in the future and further improve their conditions. “Ultimately these workers should be brought in-house and the union will continue to campaign for sick pay, pensions and travel facilities as a minimum,” he said. The union is now calling on Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan to implement Labour’s policy for a £10/hour minimum wage on the transport system he runs and give travel passes, sick pay, and holiday pay to Tube cleaners. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that Tube cleaners keep London moving by cleaning up after five million passengers every day. “They are an often invisible, marginalised group of workers whose labour is essential to the daily functioning of one of the wealthiest cities in the world. “The Victorian degree of exploitation they face brings shame to our city. “RMT will continue to fight for justice for Tube cleaners and for these workers to be brought in-house so they can receive the decent pay and conditions that they deserve,” he said. TUBE CLEANERS DEMAND JUSTICE nd e on ru r ns ick pay,y i the world. Union demands an end to outsourcing and sub-contracting to agencies