4th June 2025

To: All ABM (LUL Cleaning Contract)

Dear RMT Member,

On 2nd June, your RMT Reps and Lead Officer attended the ABM JNB (Joint Negotiating Body). This is a forum where your Reps can raise matters that affect all divisions with Directors and Senior ABM Management.

Your Reps discussed a number of important issues and I have outlined the outcomes reached at the meeting below.

Problems with getting Contractor Staff Passes renewed

ABM management has undertaken to refund anyone who had to pay fares because a delay in renewals meant they could not use their staff travel facility. If you had to pay fares while your card was not working, you will need to show proof that you paid the fares and submit this to your line manager for a refund.

Workload

RMT has been pressing ABM to give us information about how many staff should be deployed in each station area, fleet depot or headquarters/staff accommodation area. ABM does not wish to provide this information but the Company has invited us to identify any area where we believe the staffing level is inadequate or where members are frequently asked to cover for vacant positions or where other staff are on leave or sick.

If you think the Union should raise an issue about staffing level and cover arrangements for your ABM LUL workplace please let your divisional reps know, so that we can raise it at the next JNB.

Medical Appointments

Your Reps explained to ABM that some managers have been telling members that time off for medical appointments must be either annual leave or unpaid. ABM confirmed this is not the case. Paid time off for medical appointments is considered on a case-by-case basis. ABM expects you to try to make appointments outside of working hours but where this is not possible then reasonable requests for paid time off will be accepted. Please let your Rep know immediately if you have a request for paid time off to attend a medical appointment declined.

Pay and Conditions of Service

RMT submitted a claim for pay and conditions of service improvements back in March. We recently received a letter saying that ABM did not accept our claim and that the implementation of the London Living Wage and TfL contractor staff travel facility served as a pay award for 2025. RMT immediately went into dispute with ABM over this position and I am pleased to tell you that, at the JNB meeting, ABM said they are willing to discuss our claim. However, ABM made it very clear that they are not able, under their contract with TfL, to improve pay, sick pay or other provisions. ABM claims it cannot afford to improve pay and conditions without TfL paying more to them.

RMT is calling on both ABM and TfL to stop blaming each other and to increase your pay and to provide sick pay from the first day of sickness. We also called on ABM to agree to implement the increase to the London Living wage, for October 2025, by the end of this year, and not wait until May 2026.

RMT is campaigning for fair pay and conditions for all LUL/TfL contractors. Please watch out for protests and events and try to take part. You can also get updates from your RMT Rep regarding this matter.

I will also keep the National Executive Committee advised of all developments and all options will be considered as we fight for fair pay and conditions.

Trade Union Facility Time

RMT has asked ABM to consider agreeing regular time off for trade union reps to carry out consultations with members and routine admin on behalf of the union and members. We have also asked ABM to review the amount of time allowed to attend local and divisional meetings. We had a constructive discussion and RMT will be putting more detailed proposals to ABM soon.

Yours sincerely,

Eddie Dempsey

General Secretary