June 2024
REGIONAL NEWSLETTER
Issue 18
CONTACT US:
North East Region
Your North East Regional Council can be contacted at: NorthEastRegionalCouncil@rmt.org.uk And on our X (Twitter): @RMTNorthEast
CLEANERS’ CONFERENCE IN YORK This year’s Transport Cleaning Workers Conference, the seventh since being formed and its first two-day conference, was hosted by the York & District Branch within the North East Region at the Grand Hotel in York City Centre. The Grand Hotel building was opened in 1906, as the Headquarters of the North Eastern Railway, at the time one of the richest businesses in Britain, and the conference was hosted in the former boardroom. The main theme of the conference sadly continued to be the inequality suffered by the cleaning grades from employers, and in some cases from fellow employees within the industry. The nine resolutions submitted raised similar concerns due to the majority of cleaning contracts both on TOC’s and Network Rail remaining outsourced. The conference noted that in-house cleaning, while able to address some of the main issues raised, still has issues such as low pay, poor terms and conditions, and inadequate working facilities at some locations.
The RMT national position remains to bring all outsourced cleaning back in-house, and to strive to improve on in-house present terms and conditions, and for all cleaners to be paid £15 per hour, as outlined in the new Cleaners’ Charter launched at this year’s conference (please see RMT website for the charter in full). The conference also noted Labour’s position and commitment to end outsourcing, and that this conference calls for the RMT to ensure we hold Labour to account, so that should the party be elected into power, it enacts its pledge to end outsourcing for all. It was also noted that of the three TOC’s within our region operated by operator of last resort (LNER, TPE and Northern) only Northern has their cleaners in-house, although it has been noted they remain on poor terms and conditions which are presently under attack as part of the proposed TOC Workforce Reforms. RMT cannot permit or accept this and must see our representatives strive to improve the present terms and conditions, and not allow any weakening now or in the future. The conference passed all nine resolutions and submitted two to this year’s AGM as permitted. York & District branch reports that the conference was a great success, although noted with some concern the percentages of those attending were largely from other regions, with the majority from the South East and London, something that we as a region must improve upon next year.