A MITIE WIN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/august 2026 :: RMTnews 5 After many years of campaigning, RMT has won recognition for outsourced cleaners employed by Mitie at Network Rail-managed stations across the country. The agreements, secured by RMT Scotland organiser John Hay as part of the union’s push to use new Employment Rights laws, mean that around six hundred cleaning and facilities maintenance staff now possess collective bargaining rights and the right to elect representatives. As a result, the union is now recognised at major stations including Victoria, Paddington, King’s Cross, Euston and Birmingham New Street. This campaign to win recognition stretches back at least fourteen years when the first motion was passed by AGM to organise these outsourced workers. In 2013, the late Bob Crow wrote to branches and regional councils launching what he called ‘a high-profile campaign to win complete RMT organisation on the contracts’. All subsequent general secretaries have been involved in the campaign since, as have numerous past and current regional and national officials. Over the years, recognition was won at several individual stations, including in Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds and Glasgow. However, London stations proved to be more elusive, in part because of the low wages and poor working conditions given by successive contracted companies meant a heavy staff turnover rate. The brief acceptance during the Covid pandemic that cleaning workers were totally central not only to the railway but to the whole of society was quickly forgotten in the following years. The union’s ‘Justice for Cleaners’ campaign was successful in winning the Real Living Wage as well as sick pay provision during the pandemic, but management remained resistant to granting recognition. Victories continued to be won, with then lead officer Craig Johnston winning an agreement for Bristol Temple Meads in 2022 and London Waterloo in 2023. Recruitment and retention efforts by branches meant that by the start of this year, three more recognition agreements were conceded by the company for London Liverpool St, London Bridge and London Charing Cross. Then crucial changes provided by the government’s Employment Rights Act (2025) offered the union a strategic opening. At a stroke, the requirement for the union to demonstrate majority support in a bargaining unit was abolished and RMT only had to demonstrate that it had 10 per cent membership in the bargaining unit. Since this condition was in place across the London stations, RMT’s recruitment, retention and organising department approached the company on the day the law came into force. RMT was fully prepared to use the statutory procedure by applying to the Central Arbitration Committee, which can order employers to come to agreements with the unions but this was not needed. As a result of RMT’s campaigning and our ability to win previous recognition ballots, Mitie agreed to recognised the union. This saved both the union and the employer time and money and made sure recognition was agreed as soon as possible. RMT’s approach to Mitie and other recognition targets has been vindicated. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey welcomed the victory and said that now was the time for RMT members working for Mitie at Network Rail stations to elect reps. “For now, many union officers, reps, activists and members over a long period of time deserve to give themselves a pat on the back. “However, whilst we have recognition, there is always scope to improve our density and presence. “Our union remains determined that no group of workers should be left unorganised. “That means that all grades working for Network Rail should identity where there are Mitie workers and let the organising department know,” he said. A MITIE WIN Union wins recognition for Mitie workers across Network Rail ORGANISED: RMT regional organisers Kathy Mazur and John Hay recruiting at Euston and Kings Cross