5 April 2023
RMT Press Office:
Contracted out cleaners working on trains across the country will take strike action on 14 and 15 April.
RMT members working as cleaners for the likes of Atalian Servest, Churchill and Bidvest Noonan are demanding £15 an hour, company sick pay, decent holidays and good pensions from contractors who are raking in profits worth millions of pounds.
The train companies that will be affected are Avanti West Coast, GWR, Northern, GTR and South East Trains.
Cleaners working on the Network Rail High Speed contract will also be taking part in the stoppage.
The latest round of strikes are part of the union's campaign to see justice done for contracted out cleaners, who are some of the most exploited railway workers in the country.
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."
END
Notes: The strike take place between 00:01 hours on Friday 14th April and 23:59 hours on Saturday 15th April.
Cleaners demands are as follows:
A minimum wage of £15 per hour
A Company sick pay scheme of at least 6 weeks’ full pay and 6 weeks’ half pay
Staff travel facilities
An increase to pension contributions
This action includes all Cleaner members at the following companies:
Atalian Servest (Alstom/Avanti West Coast)
Atalian Servest (Great Western Railway)
Bidvest Noonan (Northern Trains Contract)
Churchill (Network Rail High Speed Contract)
Churchill (GTR Contract)
Churchill (South East Trains Contract)
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