CREATING SAFE WORKPLACES AT C2C

RMT Bidvest Noonan health and safety reps at c2c in Essex met at Unity House recently to plan a programme of workplace visits to ensure safe workplaces for our Cleaners who work across the c2c contract. Together with RMT regional organiser for London and Anglia Kathy Mazur, health and safety reps Robert Aungier, Sarah Cottis, Albena Deniska and Diyan Dinev met to review issues to raise with the company and to plan workplace visits. Kathy Mazur said that these visits were vital to ensure that members can complete their work safely and with the appropriate PPE, equipment and materials to carry out work. “Workplace visits are also an opportunity to identify potential hazards and for members to report any complaints they might have and need to with the employer by reps. “Our team reviewed data reports and a map of the c2c contract route’s workplaces with the number of members and plan to conduct workplace visits and inspections at each workplace to ensure members had appropriate PPE and proper uniforms from the employer. “We want to ensure a working environment free of hazards as well as clean and hygienic mess rooms with the facilities to make hot drinks and heat meals to ensure breaks could be taken properly,” she said. The Labour Party made an election manifesto pledge for a publicly owned railway and has been moving forward with that pledge. The union sees this as an opportunity for cleaning taken back in-house and the abolition of the contracting-out route of public money going into the private pocket of contractors. The railway must become a single publicly owned entity with direct responsibility for the cleaning function and an end to the ‘contract management’ model which rewards the private contractor with public money for every cost saving they can make. This is particularly relevant for c2c which is being taken back in-house later this year as part of government plans for the railway. Kathy Mazur said that cleaning grades were an integral part of the union and RMT policy must reflect their needs and wellbeing which includes bringing cleaning in- house for the good of workers and passengers alike. “Rail income should be for the railway, not dividends for private shareholders and insourced cleaning with our health and safety and industrial representatives having a direct relationship with a publicly owned railway would be both more cost- effective and effective in providing a clean and pleasant journey for passengers,” Kathy said. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march/april 2025 :: RMTnews 21 Bidvest Noonan safety representatives’ Sarah Cottis, Diyan Dinev, Albena Deninska and Robert Aungier with outgoing RMT general secretary Mick Lynch CREATING SAFE WORKPLACES AT C2C Union calls for cleaning to be taken back in-house under Great British Railways