RMT train cleaners walk out against shoddy conditions

Around 50 striking train cleaners employed by ISS on East Coast Mainline picketed at King’s Cross station in London on Friday of last week.

The RMT union members were part of a two-day coordinated strike hitting different transport cleaning contracts across the country.

The pickets marched round to the main entrance to the station, waving placards and chanting “Low pay, no way!” and “ISS—mafia!” outside the ISS office.

One striker told Socialist Worker, “Working for ISS is not bad, but they need to give people proper holidays and stop short-paying wages.

“You can’t survive on this pay. We’ve got no free travel and no bonus. ISS treat workers like shit on the floor. We need another strike if they don’t back down, even for a week.”

When station management and police officers tried to move them the strikers refused.

Julie Sherry

Carlisle hit by eigth strike

Around 20 striking cleaners picketed and leafleted outside the offices of Carlisle Support Services on Friday of last week. Carlisle are the cleaning contractors for trains on the TransPennine Express routes from Manchester stations.

This was their eighth strike. The workers have had no pay rise for three years and have only been offered 3 percent this year. This is well below inflation and effectively a pay cut.

The workers also have no paid meal breaks, no sick pay scheme and no enhanced rates for night, weekends or overtime.

Tony Harper

National lobby of parliament for cleaners in the transport industry, Tuesday 11 December, 3pm, Committee Room 11, House of Commons, London SW1A 2TT