ABM Cleaners

There are small group of reps and activists who are attempting to actively recruit cleaners and canteen staff in the london transport region.

Sodexo canteen workers have put in for a recognition agreement, their management have agreed dependant us on getting 50% +1 members, if we do not get the required number of members we will be barred from going for recognition again for 3 years.

Cleaners are to be balloted shortly due to a number of issues including an olympic recognition bonus which makes our task even more important.

As ISS Hasn't Respond To RMT's Call For a Better Deal For Cleaners, An Industrial Ballot Will Be Initiated

The General Grades Committee has made the following decision on our claims for ISS cleaners:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and welcome his actions in tabling a claim for an above-inflation pay rise, free travel passes, a full sick pay scheme, improved pensions and an Olympics bonus. We agree to his recommendation that should Initial not respond positively to the Olympics claim within 7 days and the other claims within 14 days, we intend to declare this union in dispute with this company in line with the wishes of our representatives.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that RMT has submitted a pay claim to ISS, and met with the company on 20 March to demand:

• a substantial, above-RPI pay rise
• a substantial Olympic bonus
• a sick pay scheme
• free travel passes
• improvement to the pension scheme

Should ISS not agree to these demands, our representatives wish us to ballot members for strike action and action short of strikes.

A recent cleaners protest, photo by Mark King

“Greedy Money Grabbing Cleaners” Demand Olympics Bonus

If only this were true! Whilst the debate continues about the financial rewards being offered to most LU staff across the combine for the Olympic Games, please spare a thought for our often downtrodden cleaning colleagues who are employed by the notorious Cleaning Companies.

Please download and distribute the attached poster.

The RMT Executive through the General Grades Committee has issued the following statement and poster for notice boards to reiterate and clarify the RMT's position on members entitlements for the Olympic period.

“We reiterate our stance that all grades of transport employees are entitled to a decent financial reward for their efforts transporting huge numbers of passengers during the Olympics and are entitled to take leave during the summer, and that working conditions and important agreements should not and need not be attacked in order to facilitate Olympic running.”

There will be a meeting for all cleaners and supporters Tursday 8th of March from 18:30 hours in the 12 Pins Pub, Finsbury Park.

This meeting will discuss the abject failure of the cleaning companies to properly reward and accept the higher workloads for cleaners on LU during the Olympic period. All members welcome.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note that Carlisle Cleaning Services has agreed to recognise RMT as the sole trade union representing all hourly-paid cleaning employees, and ratify the recognition agreement contained in the file. We congratulate our Regional Organiser and DLR branch in achieving this. We instruct the General Secretary to include a report in RMT News and to send a personal letter by post to all our members on this contract explaining what recognition entails and enclosing a membership form so that they can encourage their workmates to join.

RAIL UNION RMT today demanded an urgent Network Rail investigation into claims passed to the union by staff that the company at the heart of the St Pancras/Eurostar cleaners poverty pay dispute, Initial, is allegedly planning to utilise an “in house” agency to break the strike which is using Bulgarian and Romanian workers registered as self-employed with limited company status to avoid basic UK employment rights and to get round the agency worker regulations.

RAIL UNION RMT today announced the end a pay dispute involving OCS cleaners working on the Eurostar contract after a new deal secured the union’s interim objective of getting all staff onto a minimum rate of £8 per hour by the autumn of this year.

A series of incremental increases under the package will say the minimum rate of pay rise from £7.40 an hour to £8.00 per hour by November - an increase of around 8% on the basic.