2 June 2022
RMT Press Office:
Cleaners continue their fight for a £15 per hour.
Staff in cleaning roles on GTR, Network Rail, HS1 and South East Trains will be on picket lines throughout the weekend.
The union is demanding Churchill pay company sick pay and free travel for cleaning staff across the network, to bring them in line with every other railway worker on the network.
Due to the cost-of-living crisis with prices rising at their fastest rate in 30 years and inflation running at 11.1 percent, these workers need a pay rise now.
Churchill made £39m profit in 2020 but is flat out refusing to raise cleaners’ wages to a liveable standard.
Reports from picket lines suggested no trains were being cleaned and RMT members were in good spirits in their fight for pay justice.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Churchill have shown the arrogance one expects from these contractors who are raking in the profits at the expense of our members tireless work.
"They could easily afford to give cleaners £15 an hour but instead reward shareholders, spivs and speculators.
"Cleaners were rightly hailed as heroes during the pandemic, only to be treated appallingly by Churchill.
"We will continue to pile on the pressure during this campaign of industrial action and ensure that these greedy multimillion pound contractors are stripped of their ability to exploit workers on our railways."
A striking Churchill worker who did not want to be named added: "I never try to take days for sick - I would never be able to afford rent or food."
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