Cleaners

Issues for Tube cleaners, and unionisation efforts

Keep your badges, we want better conditions and in-house employment!

Risk your life carrying out essential, frontline work during a deadly global pandemic... how does your employer reward you? Well, if you're a cleaner on London Underground... it's with a small badge.

There's widespread anger amongst ABM staff at what's seen as a slap in the face. Rather than...

Sadiq Khan's local Labour Party supports Tube cleaners

Tooting Constituency Labour Party in south London has passed a resolution supporting RMT's campaign for full sick pay, staff travel passes, and direct employment for Tube cleaners.

Whilst any wider support throughout the labour movement is welcome and important, this development is especially...

Win on cleaners' sickness and isolation pay

On 30 September, we reported that cleaning contractor ABM had withdrawn an agreement to pay cleaners at their full shift rate for periods of Covid-related sickness and self-isolation. With the agreement withdrawn, cleaners would revert to their normal contractual arrangements, which only entitled...

Tube contractor cancels cleaner sick pay

At the beginning of the pandemic, RMT won an agreement from TfL and cleaning contractor ABM that any cleaner who needed to self-isolate, or take time off sick due to Covid, would be paid in full. Normally cleaners only receive Statutory Sick Pay of £95.85 per week, well below their usual weekly rate...

Khan "considering" in-housing cleaning?

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was questioned on LBC radio today (13 August) about conditions for Tube cleaners, particularly their lack of staff travel benefits. His non-committal remarks, which talked up an existing scheme whereby cleaners working across multiple sites don't have to pay to travel between...

A message of solidarity

On 5 August, ABM cleaner and chair of the RMT London Transport Region Cleaning Grades Committee Mohamed Said addressed a virtual strike rally for outsourced cleaners in HMRC offices in Merseyside, striking from 3-28 August to demand living wages and full sick pay. The cleaners are employed by ISS...

Cleaners Pushed Around

Cleaners on the Bakerloo line have reported being moved from their usual locations to work elsewhere on the line, including train pickers at Elephant being sent to do accommodation cleaning at Stonebridge Park.

These displacements seem to be the result of ABM cutting back on its use of agency staff...

Two Masks, Too Few

ABM has been providing masks to cleaners, but has only issued cleaners with two each. Although the masks are washable, some cleaners have reported that they become ineffective with repeated washing and use, with the material wearing out or becoming damaged. Cleaners have found it difficult to obtain...

Cleaners in the pandemic: a view from the frontline

A Tube cleaner and RMT activist spoke to Tubeworker about cleaners' struggles in the pandemic.


Being a cleaning worker during this period has been tough. We're absolutely on the frontline. As outsourced workers, many of us feel forgotten about, left behind, and ignored. Our employer, ABM...

Furloughed cleaners face 20% pay cut

Cleaning contractor ABM has informed RMT reps that will be furloughing some cleaners, possibly including those on long-term distancing from work and some part-time staff. While it has guaranteed to protect jobs, it does not intend to top up the additional 20% of cleaners' salaries, meaning that any...

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