On Wednesday 16 July, at 10.10am, Feminist Fightback activists, acting in solidarity with cleaners on the Underground demonstrating outside City Hall, interrupted Mayor's questions to challenge the Mayor to meet the demands of the cleaners' strike.
In the first direct action at City Hall since Mr Johnson came to power, two female activists dropped a banner 'suspending Mr Johnson from work', listing the demands of the cleaners' strike and announced that - like many cleaners who are union activists - he had been suspended from work.
Despite Mr Johnson's announcement today of the Living Wage for some cleaners on the underground, victimisation of RMT cleaners has been stepped up since their strike action two weeks ago and key activists have been suspended from work. Immigration rules have been used to intimidate union members to leave their jobs.
Key to the cleaners' demands are also sick pay, 28 days' annual leave, decent pensions, free travel to work and an end to third party sackings. None of these demands have been met, and cleaners employed under Tubelines will not be affected by Mr Johnson's announcement today.
Alice Robson, one of the women to disrupt Mayor's Answers today, a Feminist Fightback activist, comments:
"The reports of intimidation that have resulted from the cleaners' strike are appalling. People are being forced to leave the workforce due to their immigration status. The Mayor's announcement today sits uneasily with the reality of trade union repression on the Underground. As feminists we want to highlight the extent to which what is traditionally seen as 'women's work' is so undervalued and are willing to take direct action to do so."
Over the past few weeks Feminist Fightback has undertaken a series of direct action in order to highlight the crucial role that London Underground cleaners - the majority of whom are women and migrant workers - play in keeping the underground running.
feminist.fightback@gmail.com
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Additional report:
The protest outside of City Hall heard from a number of speakers - including cleaners, RMT activists and RMT General Secretary Bob Crow. Here's what they said:
LU Cleaner: "If we stop work, the tube will clog completely with rubbish. The rats will rise and eat everything, consume everything in this city. We do vital work!"
Steve Hedley, Secretary, RMT London Transport Regional Council: "We have a disgraceful situation in 21st century Britain. Workers on £5 per hour and people competing for jobs. People are competing for a job where the bosses take advantage of female workers. You can bet if someone had a successful picket and successful strike they'll be picked up for National Insurance numbers [a number of striking RMT members have been targeted in this way] ... People who earn £100,000 a year refuse to pay a decent wage. These people aren't just fighting the cleaners but drivers and station staff too. We demand the London living wage. Boris: you'd better give it now!"
Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary: "The fact is that the wage being paid is a deliberate measure. When Livnigstone was mayor, he made a promise to increase it [he never did]. Now we have Boris and he made a commitment. Still, 8 years later we don't have it. Some of those people in the GLA spend more than the hourly living wage on a gin and tonic. They spend more than cleaners get paid in an hour. We're not going away until we get £7.25 and also travel allowances, decent pensions. TfL should do the honourable thing and give the living wage. History will judge that what we've done in 2008 is the right thing to do. Every brother and sister in the RMT is behind the cleaners."
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Follow the cleaners' campaign on Tubeworker's blog here [1].