END THE PAY ROBBERY ON NORTHERN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2019 :: RMTnews 18 RMT cleaners working for ISS on the Arriva Rail North contract held protest outside Blackburn railway station last month over what the union is calling the great pay robbery affecting a group of key Northern Rail workers. The protest is over plans by private contractor ISS to unilaterally change the low paid workers terms and conditions so that they will be forced into accepting 11 days’ pay owed in arrears. Currently they work five days paid in arrears. What should be paid as wages will be paid as a loan and then clawed back by the employer. Wages owed will then be paid back only when staff leave the company. The cleaners are concerned that among other things the changes could affect Universal Credit Welfare Payments, that there hasn’t been sufficient time to change outgoing direct debit payments and that this will mean that they could incur bank charges. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that cleaners on Arriva Rail North were protesting again over the worsening of their conditions that will force them to accept 11 days’ pay owed in arrears. “This will create significant hardship for these low paid workers “No thought has been given as to how these low paid workers are going to be able to cope with the detrimental changes to their finances. “It is the great pay-robbery with a key group of Northern Rail workers targeted as the victims. Arriva should not be tolerating a situation where their contractors behave in such an openly aggressive and penny-pinching manner towards the cleaning workforce. “The move will cause unnecessary hardship and inconvenience to workers doing some of the dirtiest jobs on the railway and RMT calls on ISS to withdraw these unnecessary, vindictive and damaging proposals,” he said. END THE PAY ROBBERY ON NORTHERN RMT cleaners working for ISS on the Arriva Rail North contract protest against the great pay robbery