CHURCHILL CLEANERS IN HISTORIC VOTE FOR ACTION

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2022 :: RMTnews 7 Hundreds of rail cleaners who have kept trains running throughout the pandemic have voted for industrial action across four separate contracts in the South East in an historic ballot. The cleaners are employed by private contractor Churchill and work to keep Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern, Southeastern, High Speed 1 and Eurostar trains and stations clean. They voted in overwhelming numbers for strike action, smashing through the Tory anti-trade union law thresholds on all contracts. In two of the ballots the majorities in favour of action were 100%.   RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that Churchill and cleaning employers across the industry need to pay close attention to this result. “Our members have put their lives on the line throughout the Covid pandemic, they’ve endured low pay and a total lack of respect and they’ve watched their wages being eaten away by the growing cost of living crisis. Now they’ve sent a resounding signal that they’re not taking it any longer. “Churchill’s cleaning company paid a £12 million dividend last year, while many of our members are on £8.91 or £9.50 an hour. Churchill can more than afford to lift pay and conditions on these contracts and our members have shown fantastic collective resolve in smashing the Tory ballot thresholds so the ball is in Churchill’s court,” he said. Cleaners Hourly rate Salary bill Salary bill Table 1: Approximate costs of pay rises for Churchill’s South Eastern rail cleaners* at £11 an hour Salary bill at £12 hour Salary bill at £15 an hour GTR 500 £8.91 £8,108,100 £10,010,000 £10,920,000 £13,650,000 LSER 435 £9.90 £7,837,830 £8,708,700 £9,500,400 £11,875,500 HS1 80 £9.90 £1,441,440 £1,601,600 £1,747,200 £2,184,000 Eurostar 150 £9.90 £2,702,700 £3,003,000 £3,276,000 £4,095,000 TOTALs 1165 £20,090,070 £23,323,300 £25,443,600 £31,804,500 Hourly rate *The salary bill is calculated on the basis of a 35-hour week and 52 week year. In reality this is likely to overestimate the costs. Additional salary bill Table 2: Cost of funding pay rises for c. 1,165 cleaners Funded by £11 an hour £3,233,230 Repayment of £3.8 million dividend paid by Group to two Directors £12 an hour £5,353,530 £15 an hour £11,714,430 Repayment of half the £12 million dividend paid by cleaning subsidiary to Group Repayment of £12 million dividend Group paid by cleaning subsidiary to CHURCHILL CLEANERS IN HISTORIC VOTE FOR ACTION Company pandemic profits would fund 50 per cent pay rise