London Underground cleaners stage two-day strike over pay

Cleaning staff who are currently receiving £8.30/hour are asking for salary increase.

12:02 31 December 2012

London Underground cleaners are on strike for being paid below the capital’s living wage and rate offered to agency cleaners. The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced that members working for Initial and ISS contractors will not report for work for 48 hours starting at 05:30 GMT.

 

 

 

Leaflets were also distributed to explain the reason behind the strike. It reads: "We will not tolerate low pay in this day and age, nor being treated like second-rate people.

 

"We clean your trains, your stations and your depots. We mop up all the nasty stuff that no one else wants to deal with. We clean up after 4 million people who use the London Underground system, so they can enjoy clean trains to use and clean stations to pass through."

 

The RMT’s general secretary Bob Crow said: "It is these same staff who have played a key role in keeping services clean and safe who are now forced again by their employers to take action for a living wage and recognition of their efforts.

 

Meanwhile, reports confirmed that services would be operating as normal throughout the 2-day strike.

 

ISS, which employs many of the workers who joined the strike, said that they were disappointed with the action as they plan to introduce new salaries in March.