Boris faces pressure over Living Wage’ for Underground cleaners

BORIS Johnson comes under pressure at Mayor’s Questions today over low-pay cleaners working on London Underground who don’t get the official living wage’. The issue is being raised by Labour GLA Leader Val Shawcross as part of an ongoing campaign by the RMT rail union to get the cleaners the London Living Wage

By Mike Brooke

BORIS Johnson comes under pressure at Mayor’s Questions today (Wednesday) over low-pay cleaners working on London Underground who don’t get the official living wage’.

The issue is being raised at City Hall this-morning by Labour GLA Leader Val Shawcross as part of an ongoing campaign by the RMT rail union to get the cleaners the recognised London Living Wage.

At least 500 cleaners employed by ISS contractors are paid �6.15-an-hour, says the union, which it points out is �1.30 below the 2008 rate of �7.45.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “Boris Johnson has a responsibility to ensure a private company sustained by public subsidy is not guilty of exploiting a workforce in its supply chain.

“He has publicly embraced the Living Wage to ensure low-paid Londoners are kept above the poverty threshold.

“Yet many within the Mayor’s own jurisdiction have been left out in the cold.”

Action by RMT members last year won a rate of �7.45-an-hour on contracts across the Underground network.

But cleaners working for one contractor do not benefit because their company has told the RMT that the �1.30 pay rise cannot now be funded.

So the union has called on the Mayor who chairs Transport for London to intervene to ensure the �1.30 shortfall is made good.