29 April 2026
RMT Press Office:
Rail union RMT, has called for an end to outsourcing on Southeastern services, demanding that cleaners employed by private contractor Churchill be brought back in-house under public ownership.
Southeastern has been taken into public control and will be integrated into Great British Railways, but cleaning staff remain outsourced, receiving inferior pay, conditions and little to no job security.
RMT highlighted that Churchill has paid out more than £50 million to shareholders in the last two years, arguing that profits are being prioritised over the interests of frontline staff and the travelling public.
The union pointed out that the Labour government had promised the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation but that it had so far not followed through on that commitment.
Activists from the union will leaflet Ashford International station from 7am on Thursday with a short demonstration to follow from 9am, in order to highlight the campaign.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “There is no justification for keeping cleaners outsourced to a private contractor when Southeastern is in public hands.
“Churchill has paid out tens of millions to shareholders at the same time as suppressing cleaners pay, denying them sick pay and leaving them without a proper pension.
“Cutting corners on staffing and conditions inevitably impacts on cleanliness and standards across the railway which negatively impacts on passengers.
“We are calling on the government to end outsourcing on rail and bring these essential workers into Great British Railways where they belong.”
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