LIVERPOOL MITIE CLEANERS FIGHT

R MT Mitie station and accommodation cleaners on the Merseyrail Contract took strike action last month in their ongoing campaign in support of pay and workplace justice.  The demonstration, involving the cleaners and their supporters, took place outside Mitie and Merseyrail’s Liverpool Headquarters. The cleaners voted by a massive majority for action against a pitiful increase in their poverty pay rates which would have still left them far short of the Real Living Wage and the absolute minimum of £10 an hour which RMT is campaigning for as recognition of these real heroes of the COVID pandemic who have worked throughout. The cleaners are also protesting the imposition of punitive rosters and attacks on holiday pay. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that these workers were on the frontline throughout the pandemic, keeping the Merseyrail network clean and safe for passengers, yet they are being treated with disdain by their employer, who is more interested in keeping costs down than treating its workers fairly. "Mitie cleaners on the Merseyrail contract are paid significantly below the Real Living Wage and far less than RMT’s minimum demand of £10 per hour. “Yet, Mitie’s latest accounts boast of ‘good trading resilience through Covid-19’ and reveal that revenue was up nearly 20 per cent on the year before. "Even the paltry and unacceptable offer the company put on the table is now being withdrawn in what is effectively a punishment beating for these low paid workers for having the guts to fight for justice from this bullying and greedy outfit.  "We thank the people of Merseyside for their support for their cleaners in their fight for workplace justice and the union remains available for talks,” he said. The Mitie pay awards for 2020 and 2021 remain outstanding and it has offered what RMT and its members consider to be an unacceptable pay offer. The company has offered just 10p per hour from 1st July 2020, followed by 11p per hour from 1st July 2021. This offer would still leave these workers 29p per hour short of the current Real Living Wage (£9.50ph) and significantly short of the union’s demand of at least £10ph. Mitie has also withdrawn from a collective agreement regarding the payment of average earnings during annual leave. Mitie has stated that this is due to legislation introduced by the government which was applicable from April 2020 ‘The Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) Amendment Regulations 2018’. RMT has made clear to Mitie that it expects the company to honour the collective agreement and that it can pay better than the minimum standard and still be compliant with legislation. Mitie’s response was that it only uses one system for calculating holiday pay and it is not prepared to use a separate calculation that would honour the collective agreement. This stance taken by Mitie therefore means that there are cleaners in Liverpool Combined Authority area that receive less than contractual hourly rates and, in some cases, the national minimum wage when taking annual leave. Mitie has imposed new working arrangements at Liverpool South Parkway which mean a loss of 78 rest days with no compensation. This has significantly worsened the work-life balance of the affected workers. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2021 :: RMTnews 7 LIVERPOOL MITIE CLEANERS FIGHT