London Underground cleaners could vote on strikes over pay

Cleaners on London Underground could be balloted for strikes over pay, it was warned on Thursday ahead of walkouts by Tube workers in a separate dispute which will cripple services next week.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) declared a formal dispute with private contractors ABM, saying cleaners do not receive sick pay and are only paid the London Living Wage.

Unless a “serious” pay offer is made, the RMT said it will move to ballot its members for strike action.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Our members are the people who keep London Underground clean and safe for millions of passengers every single day, but they are treated as second-class workers.

“They are denied sick pay, scraping by on poverty pensions, and left to struggle month after month.

“Unless this company comes back with an offer that properly rewards cleaners for their work, and provides basic dignity like sick pay, we will ballot for strike action across the contract.”

RMT members on the Tube, including signallers and maintenance workers, are to launch a series of strikes over pay and conditions which will cause huge disruption to services next week.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned there will be few or no services between Monday and Thursday, with some disruption on Sunday.

TfL has offered a 3.4% pay rise which it described as “fair” and said it cannot afford to meet the RMT’s demand for a cut in the working week.

Docklands Light Railway services will also be hit next Tuesday and Thursday because of a strike by RMT members in a separate pay dispute.