A delegation including relief

A delegation including relief regional organiser Eddie Dempsey, Conductor Company Council Paul Dennis and Cleaners Company Council John Johnstone carried out a risk assessment on the Sittingbourne to Sheerness Line where Servest cleaners are employed to clean and sanitise the trains during the journey. There are specific difficulties with the work as a large proportion of the passengers do not wear face masks. The Conductor is permitted to not patrol the train during the Covid pandemic but contract cleaning service staff are still required to carry out their usual duties. If there are any problems with overcrowding, they are told to get off the train and wait for the next service. This both risky and unreasonable but Servest insist this a practical solution. When asked for the risk assessment they could not produce it and so John Johnston escalated the issue to the regional organiser. After further protracted attempts to engage on the issue, John and Eddie informed the company that they would be carrying out their own assessment at Sittingbourne and to Sheerness. Medway & District branch health and safety officer Paul Dennis, was also invited for his local knowledge of the route and issues on the line. Servest sent a junior manager and a supervisor to represent the company, they could not at first even find the generic risk assessment for on board cleaners. Despite it being an unusually quiet day there was still plenty of evidence that the work was a risky procedure and there was clearly a much safer and more practical solution. The stock has a turnaround time of 20 minutes at Sittingbourne for most journeys. The obvious answer is that the cleaner remains at Sittingbourne when the train terminates. The passengers are not allowed to board until the cleaner has gone through the empty coaches, cleaning and sanitising in a much safer environment then releases the train for service. This has been proposed many times by John Johnstone, but the company is adamant that the procedures are safe and the union will continue for a change in policy. South East Regional Council has also launched a three- month organising campaign around cleaners and contracted staff. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2021 :: RMTnews 12 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2021 :: RMTnews CAMPAIGNING FOR CLEANERS Union carries out risk assessments for train cleaners in Kent and demand safe working conditions Eddie Dempsey John Johnstone