Train cleaners to stage weekend strike in pay row

Cleaners working on rail services to and from West Norfolk are set to strike this weekend in the latest round of a dispute over pay.

Members of the RMT union are due to walk out for 48 hours from Saturday, though the borough's main train operator says it will have "minimal" impact on its services.

And the union's leaders have accused the workers' employer of being "greedy", amid claims some have been offered an increase of just 10 pence per hour.

Hundreds of workers are expected to join the walkout, affecting services run by several train operators including Great Northern, who run most trains between Lynn and London.

The cleaners are not directly employed by the train operators but by a contractor, the Churchill Group.

The RMT says it is demanding an increase in their hourly rate from the current National Minimum Wage of £8.91 to £15, plus rights to company sick pay and to be a direct employer of the railway.

But one West Norfolk-based worker told the Lynn News the company had offered just 20 pence per hour more for workers in London and 10 pence an hour for those outside the capital.

Workers are expected to picket outside Lynn's station on Saturday morning.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Churchill have shown scant regard for their staff and have failed to pay them properly despite ballooning profits.

"Churchill have so far not offered anything meaningful for our members to consider.

"RMT will not rest until we achieve pay justice and ensure that these greedy multimillion pound contractors are stripped of their ability to exploit workers on our railways."

The union claims Churchill made £39 million in profit in its latest published results, from 2020.

The Churchill Group has been approached for comment, but has so far not responded.

But Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the parent company of Great Northern, says passengers will still be able to "travel with confidence" because of the air conditioning systems used on trains and the materials used for cleaning which they claim offer long-lasting protection against coronavirus.

Jean Cockerill, GTR's people director, said: “We absolutely value the significant contribution cleaning colleagues make every day and especially throughout the pandemic.

“Like many other train operators, we work with an external company - in this case Churchill - that provides cleaning services.

“Our arrangements will be reviewed in the future as work on our new National Rail Contract takes place.”

GTR also says cleaners are paid the National Living Wage.

The action follows an earlier walkout last month.