WINDRUSH STRIKE

6 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march/april 2026 :: RMTnews R MT members at Northfield fleet maintenance depot servicing Piccadilly line trains took four days of strike action in late February following a breakdown in industrial relations. Instead of engaging with staff, management has responded by extending maintenance schedules to dangerous levels. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that this was putting the public in potential danger by running trains way beyond current maintenance cycles. “LU management has chosen to spend their time drawing up these plans to run trains in passenger service with extended safety critical checks and maintenance.  “It is time to stop trying to ride out this dispute and get around the table and take union concerns seriously,” he said. RMT members on the Windrush Line took 24-hour strike action recently after Cleshar CS Ltd failed to table a new pay offer despite protracted talks with the union. Signalling, telecoms, and track maintenance workers have been offered just a 1.5 per cent pay rise, well below RPI inflation, and the company has refused to offer any improvement. Cleshar made a profit of nearly £1 million in its most recent financial year. Keeping basic pay low is incentivising excessive overtime across the workforce leading to increased fatigue, union activists have said. The employer is recklessly using the tactic of relying heavily on overtime instead of addressing the pay aspirations of members and dealing with understaffing. These workers carry out safety-critical duties and without their work, the Windrush line cannot operate safely, and fatigue creates unacceptable risks and puts passenger safety potentially in jeopardy. Members are also raising serious concerns about underpayment of overtime and annual leave, alongside cuts to sick pay and paternity pay compared to arrangements under the previous contractor. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that Cleshar had failed to table a new offer and has left members with no option but to take strike action. “Instead of addressing low basic pay, the company is driving excessive overtime to keep the job covered. “The employer is displaying a cavalier attitude which is totally unacceptable. We remain ready to reach a negotiated settlement, but that requires Cleshar to come forward with a serious and reasonable offer.” Strike action is also planned to take place on March 26 and April 23, with each stoppage lasting 24 hours. WINDRUSH STRIKE Further action planned against low pay at the company Cleshar PICCADILLY LINE FLEET STRIKE ACTION