1,000 signatures reached
To: Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport
Urgent support for rail cleaners, security guards and other outsourced workers
We the undersigned, call on Secretary of State Mark Harper to mandate the Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to follow the example set by the Mayor of London and provide free travel for the thousands of outsourced cleaners, security guards and other outsourced workers who work on Britain’s rail networks.
We further call on him to review the outsourcing of outsourced workers on the railway and look to bring them into direct employment, ending the unjust treatment of these keyworkers.
Why is this important?
Thousands of cleaners work on our railways, cleaning trains and stations for Train Operating Companies, Network Rail, TfL and London Underground. These cleaners worked throughout the pandemic and continue to work today to keep our rail services clean and safe. The are joined by security guards, gateline staff and many other essential roles.
The vast majority of these workers are outsourced to sub-contractors meaning that they have lower pay, no access to sick pay and pensions and are barred from the same free and discounted travel facilities that are given to many other rail workers. The cost of living crisis has hit these low paid workers hard. Yet the directors of rail companies, whose pay is magnitudes greater than that of cleaners, do receive free travel. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has recognised the cost of living crisis and has given travel facilities to all outsourced cleaners working for TfL and London Underground, also agreeing to explore bringing cleaning in-house on the Tube.
It is time that the Secretary of State followed this example, providing free travel for rail cleaners and other outsourced workers and reviewing their outsourcing contracts with a view to bringing them into direct employment.