BRING CLEANERS IN-HOUSE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/aug 2025 :: RMTnews 12 A packed cleaners organising conference meeting in Cardiff backed the campaign for cleaning grades to be brought in-house as part of Great British Railways (GBR). Tim Butler, York and District said that the union needed to hold the government to account and enact its pledge to end outsourcing. “We need the same campaign the union carried out within Network Rail to end outsourcing,” he said. Rebecca Stokes, Crewe No1 said that cleaners should not be treated as second class citizens on the rail network. “We work hard for the money we earn, and the union needs to fight harder and smarter,” she said. Bella Fashola, East Sussex Coastway called for the union to carry out an awareness campaign focused on the mental health of outsourced workers. “Outsourced cleaning workers remain among the most undervalued on the rail network. “We are overworked, underpaid and treated unequally compared to directly employed staff. “To make ends meet, many outsourced cleaners are forced to work well beyond a standard week. The result is not just physical exhaustion, but a growing mental health crisis among cleaning staff,” she said. In order to get passengers and the public on side, she also called on the union to develop materials that expose the poor service provided by private companies. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that outsourcing was a scourge of the rail network which leads to low pay, poor conditions and systemic racism. He said that it had been a hard battle to even win trade union recognition for outsourced cleaning grades but now we need to go further. “We need to make in- sourcing as a number one issue for this union. “We have had victories sometimes through industrial action but as we move into GBR we need to see justice for cleaners,” he said. He said that outsourcing was really a hidden layer of privatisation which exploits thousands of workers every day. “Despite the fact that much of Britain’s rail services will soon be run by the government, a significant portion of the workforce remains employed by outsourcing and sub- contracting firms. “Workers endure low pay, precarious contracts, and poor working conditions while companies extract huge profits. “For example, Mitie Plc paid £41.5 million in dividends and awarded its CEO a £14 million remuneration package. “RMT estimates that around £400 million annually is diverted by outsourcing companies from public transport into private profits. “These profits often go to investment banks and private BRING CLEANERS IN-HOUSE Cleaning grades call for an end to outsourcing on the rail network