Dear colleague

RMT's victory on TfL travel passes for sub-contracted cleaners - passes issued from now

As I have reported before, RMT's campaigning has won a major concession for sub-contracted cleaners working at Transport for London. Cleaners who work at TfL will now receive an Oystercard for travel on TfL's network. I'm writing now with more details about the eligibility and process for getting this travel pass.

For years we've highlighted the injustice that sub-contracted cleaners who work for TfL do not get free travel while TfL's directly employed staff do.

Now, under pressure from the RMT, the Mayor of London has extended this travel pass. Titled the 'Low Paid Workers Transport Workers Concession'

To receive this free travel pass you must be:

Permanently employed (or on a fixed-term contract of no less than 12 months' duration) and

1)    Employed by one of TfL's directly contracted suppliers. This will cover cleaners employed by ABM;

2)    Or, employed in a cleaning role by an employer contracted by one of TfL's public transport operators. For example, this will cover cleaners employed by ISS on Docklands Light Railway, Carlisle Support Services on the Arriva Rail London contract and STM Group UK Ltd and FES on MTR Crossrail.

In addition, you must be paid the London Living Wage or up (and no further) to 10% above this. The pay range for this pass from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 will be £11.95 to £13.15 per hour so if your hourly rate is within this range you are eligible. The pay range will be reviewed annually to reflect the latest London Living Wage figures.

TfL's documentation states that these passes will be issued from now on. In April, the Oystercards will be issued to ABM employees. From May, they will be issued to sub-contracted cleaners working for TfL's contracted suppliers.

TfL estimate that this will now cover 5,800 people.

There is no doubt that this is a major win at a time when low paid cleaning grades members need it.

However, RMT will now press for this pass to be made available to all sub-contracted staff working for TfL's transport operators, not only cleaners. We will also step up the campaign for these staff to be brought in house and directly employed. It is time to end the scourge of outsourcing in transport.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Lynch
General Secretary