This is from Barnet Trades Council's website ...

Justice for Tube cleaners: No to union-busting! Bring cleaning back in-house!

In 2008 Tube cleaners on London Underground, through strike action, made some progress towards winning the London living wage, currently calculated to be £7.45 per hour. Cleaners employed by Metronet* won the London ‘living wage’. Cleaners employed by ISS, who have the contract for cleaning on TubeLines*, were due to get a 60p per hour rise from 1 September, and incremental increases until they reach £7.45 by April 2009. But ISS have engaged in foot-dragging over the agreement signed then. Tube cleaners, for example, still have to pay their own fares between stations they are working on!

Since that time, moreover, ISS have engaged in victimising RMT trade union reps, finding excuses to sack them.

There have been a number of protests against this outside ISS headquarters office, but Transport for London and Metronet have also been targeted. As the bodies holding the contracts with the cleaning companies, they should take their full share of responsibility for the treatment of contracted out cleaners. The real guarantee of cleaners' pay, holidays, conditions of work - and right to practise effective trade unionism - will come when these services are taken back in-house.

More information about the cleaners' campaign: RMT London Transport Regional Council.

* TubeLines maintains trains and infrastructure on Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines; Metronet, which was recently taken back inhouse, does the maintenance on the other London Underground lines.