MAJOR PAY VICTORY FOR MERSEYRAIL MITIE CLEANERS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june bulletin 3 2020 :: RMTnews 3 R MT is demanding that the Government take urgent action in the wake of figures published in May by the Office for National Statistics which show that male bus and taxi drivers were amongst the occupations with a raised rate of death involving COVID-19. The union is calling for the protection of workers in these sectors, and for the convening of a National Coronavirus Safety Summit to agree a national plan to protect workers and passengers in the sector. The ONS analysis found that “among men, a number of other specific occupations were found to have raised rates of death involving COVID-19, including: taxi drivers and chauffeurs (36.4 deaths per 100,000); bus and coach drivers (26.4 deaths per 100,000).” The government has failed to convene a national Coronavirus safety forum with unions and employers to establish safe working practices, despite multiple requests for it to do so since the onset of COVID-19 – and today’s analysis shows the price for this failing. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the figures were a sobering reminder that frontline bus and taxi workers across the country are being put at risk by the government’s failure to ensure that workers in these sectors are adequately protected from COVID-19. “For example, despite the high rate of deaths in the bus industry, the government still has not convened a Coronavirus safety forum for this sector, months into lockdown. “After the PM’s ambiguous statement, bus workers across the country will now be anxious that they will be put at risk by any increase in passenger numbers, before rigorous safety measures are implemented. “RMT’s position on this is unequivocal – we will not allow our bus and taxi members to be put at risk and are calling on the government to take urgent action to protect these key workers,” he said. R MT claimed a major victory in the fight against low pay on the railway after a campaign by the union forced Merseyrail cleaning and facilities’ contractor Mitie to withdraw a threat to withhold a pay increase for their staff. Mitie had pulled a pay increase to a minimum of £9 an hour for its Merseyrail staff but a high profile RMT campaign has forced them to honour the backdated award in a victory that the union says is an important staging post in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis to get all rail staff onto the Real Living Wage as an absolute minimum. RMT general secretary Mick Cash paid tribute to our members, our reps and our officials for their hard work, unity and determination which has been key to securing this important victory. “The company stance forced us to declare a dispute and mount a major political and public campaign to secure pay justice for our Mitie Merseyrail staff. “ In the midst of this current crisis RMT is out there fighting to deliver on safety, jobs and livelihoods. That work continues,” he said. BUS AND TAXI DRIVERS RISK COVID-19 DEATH RMT SECURES MAJOR PAY VICTORY FOR MERSEYRAIL MITIE CLEANERS Picture taken before social distancing rules