PAY UP ARRIVA RAIL

17 RMT has launched a campaign for pay justice for members working for Carlisle Support Services on the contract for Arriva Rail North which run by Deutsche Bahn (DB) the German state railway. These workers are being paid below the rate set by the Living Wage Foundation, which currently stands at £9 per hour. This is in spite of the fact that Arriva Rail North became accredited by the Living Wage Foundation in 2017 in a fanfare of publicity. When a company is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation it requires them to pay all directly employed staff the Living Wage and for it to be paid to non-direct employees (contract staff). The real Living Wage, which has cross party support, is an hourly rate which is set independently and updated every year. It is calculated according to the real costs of living in the UK and employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. There are currently over 5,000 accredited employers. The petition calls on the company to ensure that all non-direct employees working on Northern stations as Revenue and Gate line security staff are immediately paid the Living Wage Foundation's recommended rate of £9.00 per hour. “These dedicated staff work for you in Northern branded uniforms protecting your income and helping passengers. They deserve nothing less than a fair day's pay for a hard day's work. We call on you to pay them the real Living Wage now,” it says. The petition can be found at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/pe titions/northern-rail-commit- now-to-pay-staff-a-real-living- wage RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it was a scandal that Arriva Rail North’s gate line and revenue staff were struggling to make ends meet and are paid below the Real Living Wage. “The fact that Arriva Rail North is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation means that they must do the right thing and ensure that their contractor, Carlisle Support Services ensure a fair day’s pay for the work that they do. “Northern’s gate line and revenue staff are fighting for an end to poverty pay but they need the help of the travelling public and I would urge passengers to sign the petition and help us to persuade Carlisle Support Services and Arriva Rail North to put an end to this scandal,” he said. PAY UP ARRIVA RAIL RMT launches campaign for pay justice for Northern’s gate line and revenue staff