5,000 outsourced cleaners, caterers, and security workers on London Underground will get staff travel passes from April 2023, the new financial year, after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan finally conceded to years of RMT campaigning. Khan has also said he will review sick pay arrangements, and the outsourced cleaning contract itself, in April.
These workers are as much part of the permanent, core Tube workforce as station staff, drivers, and others, and it was always a scandal that they were discriminated against by having substantially worse terms and conditions. This win goes some way to addressing that scandal, which was also a scandal of racism and sexism as it meant a majority-BEM/migrant workforce, which also had a higher proportion of women workers than the directly-employed workforce, were treated worse than the majority-white direct employees.
It's a testament to the determination and tenacity of union reps and activists amongst the outsourced workers, and their supporters, who have campaigned on this issue over a number of years, including taking the fight to Khan's doorstep with numerous demonstrations at City Hall (including one in which several activists were on the wrong end of some rough treatment from City Hall security).
Our fight for equality is far from over. Let's use this victory as a springboard to push forward other demands such as £15/hour minimum wage, full company sick pay, minimum staffing levels for cleaners, improved pensions and, ultimately, direct employment. There are also other issues of outsourcing to address across the Tube, especially the reliance on firms like Cleshar and Morsons in the engineering sector.
Everyone who works on the Tube should be directly employed, on LUL terms and conditions!