West Coast train cleaners strike for better pay

Train cleaners who work on a service between Glasgow and London are to go on strike.

The staff, who have worked on Avanti West Coast services throughout the pandemic, are demanding an increase in pay.

They are employed by Atalian Servest Limited, a multi-national outsourcing company based in France.

Striking workers are currently paid £9.68 per hour, less than the Real Living Wage, and receive no company sick pay.

Atalian Servest have already refused to raise workers’ pay above the Real Living Wage rate of £9.9, instead offering a pay rise of 2p an hour to workers outside of London.

Research from the RMT National Executive Committee found that Atalian Servest Ltd’s holding company last year paid a dividend to its French parent company of £10.8 million.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch stated: “the people who clean our railways are heroes who risk their lives and health every day to keep our essential services running but the way Atalian Servest is treating its workers on West Coast trains is an utter disgrace.

“While the dividends keep flowing overseas, cleaners are expected to put up with poverty wages and live in fear of destitution if they get sick. It’s shameful that we’re driven to strike action to win such basic justice but if that’s what it takes, so be it.

“Atalian Servest need to make these heroes a better offer and Avanti need to take responsibility because they are complicit in this gross exploitation.”