48-hour strike action by cleaners to affect train companies across rail network

Trains across the country will be affected by a strike of contract cleaners on the 14th and 15th of April.

The contractors the cleaners work for are claimed to be making millions of pounds in profit, so the cleaners who are members of the RMT union and work for Atalian Servest, Churchill, and Bidvest Noonan are demanding £15 an hour, company sick pay, decent holidays, and good pensions.

Companies that will be affected by the strike are:

• Atalian Servest on Alstom/Avanti West Coast and Great Western Railway;
• Bidvest Noonan on its Northern Trains Contract;
• Churchill on its Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), South East Trains, and Network Rail‘s High-Speed Contracts.

The latest round of strikes is part of the union's campaign to achieve justice for contracted-out cleaners who have submitted the following demands:

• A minimum wage of £15 per hour;
• A Company sick pay scheme of at least six weeks full pay and six weeks half pay;
• Staff travel facilities;
• An increase in pension contributions.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Cleaners do a vital job making sure the health, safety and welfare of passengers is taken care of on a daily basis.

“It is almost criminal that many of them struggle to make ends meet and have dreadful conditions of work while the contractors they are employed by collect millions in profit every year.

“RMT is campaigning vigorously to end this super-exploitation and injustice.

“Our members will continue their industrial campaign until they have achieved fair pay and good conditions of work.

“Train companies should also hang their heads in shame for allowing contractors to exploit workers who keep their trains clean.

“Ultimately all cleaning contracts currently with private companies on the railway must be bought back in-house as a matter of urgency.”