Avanti West Coast cleaners strike

RMT members in cleaning grades on Avanti West Coast services held a one-day strike on Friday September 23, in a dispute over low wages and sick pay.

Atalian Servest, which runs the contract, currently pays £9.90 an hour and no company sick pay.

Picket lines were staged at Glasgow, Preston, Carlisle, Crewe, Edge Hill (Liverpool), Longsight and Piccadilly (Manchester), Oxley (Wolverhampton), Birmingham New Street and Euston.

The RMT says that Atalian Servest paid £15 million in dividends to its French owners in 2020/21.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Cleaners have rightly been hailed as heroes and key workers during the COVID pandemic.

“RMT is calling time on all cleaning contractors who exploit their staff, and we are stepping up to take firm action in defence of these key railway workers.”