Cleaners

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser. We instruct the General Secretary to obtain an up-to-date report and place it in front of us.

STRIKES BY some 150 cleaners on three contracts across the Channel tunnel network have come a step closer after RMT members voted by overwhelming margins for industrial action in a bid to raise appallingly low pay levels.

The union has demanded fresh talks with subcontracting employers OCS and Initial after workers on the OCS Eurostar contract and Initial’s Eurostar and the Network Rail Channel tunnel rail link contracts endorsed action with only two votes cast against.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said:

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We instruct the General Secretary to place in front of us a report on the status of claims and offers in respect of cleaner members in the London Transport region as soon as practical.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

Canteen rep Petrit Mihaj

RMT has agreed reduced-rate subscriptions of £1 per week for workers at Initial Cleaners and Sodexho canteens in London Transport. This reduced rate is part of our organising campaign to achieve recognition in these two companies, and will be reviewed in 12 months' time.

Cleaning industry Bosses at Initial, one of the biggest companies on London Underground are asking low paid Cleaners to pay for the London Living Wage (LLW) with the removal of promotional opportunities by trying to get rid of the Supervisor Grades this way ensuring Cleaners cannot get any improvement in their conditions by having some hope of moving from the lowest grade in our industry.

Cleaning industry Bosses at Initial, one of the biggest companies on London Underground are asking low paid Cleaners to pay for the London Living Wage (LLW) with the removal of promotional opportunities by trying to get rid of the Supervisor Grades this way ensuring Cleaners cannot get any improvement in their conditions by having some hope of moving from the lowest grade in our industry.

TUBE UNION RMT has today written to London Mayor Boris Johnson after it emerged that tube cleaning contractors Initial are planning to sack staff in order to fund the costs of paying their workers the London Living Wage.

In their “Business Case” document, Initial say that as a cost saving measure brought on by “the recent increase in London Living Wage from £7.85 to £8.30” Initial are proposing to axe cleaners jobs to bridge the gap.

Click here and PLEASE add your name to this petition NOW. Railway cleaner and RMT member Marciano Flora faces deportation as soon as WEDNESDAY following a 'sting' by his employer (John Laing, which holds the contract for London Overground cleaning), who called him and others in to work then handed them over to immigration officers. Marciano has been in London for more than five years, lives with his family, and is settled here.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that Initial is paying the London Living Wage to cleaners, but has not met any other demands in our pay and conditions claims. This leaves these cleaners among the most exploited workers in London, working for disgracefully low pay, and without the sick pay, pensions and other benefits enjoyed by other workers.

The following resolution submitted by Finsbury Park Branch was carried unanimously at the October 27th Regional Council meeting.

Update: London Underground has revised its offer to four years: 5% this year, RPI+0.5% (minimum 2%) for years 2, 3 and 4.

RMT workplace representatives will be discussing this at a meeting on Tuesday 4 October.You work hard, your employer makes money from your efforts, and you have bills to pay. So your union organises members to win better pay and working conditions. RMT aims to achieve:

• above-inflation pay rises - anything else is a pay cut in real terms, as your outgoings increase faster than your income;

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that Initial intends to increase the pay of cleaners on its London Underground contract in line with the London Living Wage, to £8.30 per hour, as it is contractually bound to do. The company has not yet advised us of its intended pay rise for supervisor, and has rejected every other element of our pay and conditions claim.

RMT CLEANERS have forced contractor John Laing Integrated Services to recognise the union on London Overground following an organising campaign that has seen the vast majority of the workforce join the union since the end of March.

A ballot carried out under Central Arbitration Committee rules after the firm refused to enter into a voluntary agreement returned a six-to-one vote to give RMT bargaining rights for the staff, who work from depots at Acton, Gospel Oak, New Cross Gate and Willesden.

RMT's General Grades Committee has agreed a detailed campaign to organise workers in Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services. This is a national campaign, which will initially start outside our Region. However, it is relevant to our Region, as Carlisle holds contracts in London Transport, including TfL/LU secruity staff and Docklands Light Railway cleaners.

Here is the full GGC decision:

Circular from Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary ...

Earlier this year I wrote to Carlisle Cleaning & Support Services expressing my utmost concern over the company’s assertion that the RMT only had direct bargaining and recognition rights for three Carlisle Cleaning and Support Contracts, namely Eurostar, London Midland and Alstom/West Coast.

Our cleaning grade vice-chair has drafted the following proposal for an organising strategy for cleaners. It will be discussed in detail at the Regional Council Executive meeting on 9 November.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the new issue of our 'RMT London Calling' newsletter. It urges members to join the fight against the ConDem government's cuts; condemns London Underground's latest job cuts announcement; and reports on RMT's campaigns on Docklands Light Railway, Initial (cleaners) and Alstom.

Dear Colleagues

There will be a protest outside Initial-Rentokil offices in Brunswick place [Old Street tube exit 1] on 11th October at 12 noon to 1 pm.This protest has been called against Initials union busting tactics which include bring cleaners into their offices on the pretence of having a grievance hearing and then calling the police to arrest them.

The RMT cannot stand idly by and allow this crude intimidation to continue. Come and show solidarity with our cleaner members on Monday 11th

Many thanks

Steve Hedley Regional Organiser