BRING THEM IN-HOUSE!

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march/april 2026 :: RMTnews 8 The union laid down a marker to the Mayor of London and Transport for London with a noisy demonstration outside City Hall. The protest was part of the union's ‘End Outsourcing’ campaign and to oppose the corporate capture of TfL where the Mayor Sadiq Khan is not fulfilling his democratic mandate to insource cleaners - something he had promised the union he would do. DLR members, contracted out cleaners were taking strike action during the protest, emphasising not only the need to be insourced but that they want sick pay. The inhumane behaviour of their employer Bidvest Noonan has been laid bare after it was revealed that members who despite being hospitalised due to ill health received no sick pay or support from their employer. One member affected said: “Not having company sick pay has had a profound impact on my mental and physical health. “Outsourcing is frankly inhumane because the contractor treats you as a disposable piece of junk when you are not working long shifts making them a quick quid,” he said. The union revealed that cleaners have been told sick pay would only be considered in extremely limited circumstances, such as terminal illness, which RMT has branded an insult to a workforce that kept London moving through the pandemic and beyond. While this has been taking place, TfL has awarded a new five-year cleaning contract covering more than 2,000 workers to outsourcing giant Mitie, despite previous commitments from the Mayor supporting insourcing. Speaking at the demonstration outside City Hall, RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey demanded that an enquiry be launched into procurement practices. The board met during the protest and the majority of them had no idea half of London's Transport network has been privatised - London Overground, the Elizabeth Line, huge outsourcing contracts for cleaning. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been signed off and the majority of TfL Board members have no idea this is happening. We believe these practices are deeply corrupt. "The Mayor has promised me that he would bring our outsourced cleaners back in house. We've been promised the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation. Yet in London BRING THEM IN-HOUSE! RMT holds protest to demand end of out-sourcing at TfL