We're distributing 20,000 of 5 different leaflets across the different local authorities who make up the Tyne and Wear Transport Authority. We are asking people to contact there local councillors to ask them to support the Cleaners. See our letter below and email your local councillors asking them to meet the demands listed in the letter:
Councillors:
cllr.gladys.hobson@southtyneside.gov.uk
cllr.alan.smith@southtyneside.gov.uk
cllr.jmcelroy@gateshead.gov.uk,
cllr.sgreen@gateshead.gov.uk,
cllr.pmaughan@gateshead.gov.uk
cllr.james.blackburn@sunderland.gov.uk,
cllr.barry.curran@sunderland.gov.uk,
cllr.anne.lawson@sunderland.gov.uk,
Cllr.peter.wood@sunderland.gov.uk
frank.lott@northtyneside.gov.uk,
edwin.hodson@northtyneside.gov.uk,
john.oshea@northtyneside.gov.uk
dave.wood@newcastle.gov.uk,
henri.murison@newcastle.gov.uk,
greg.stone@newcastle.gov.uk,
john.stokel-walker@newcastle.gov.uk
Dear Councillor and member of the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority
We are writing to you to ask for your support in demanding that
Churchill pays a decent living wage to its cleaners, as well as decent
conditions, sick pay, pensions, travel passes, and stops vicitmising
staff for joining a union and raising concerns.
You will all be aware of the plight of the Tyne and Wear Metro Cleaners.
They have lobbied the TWITA on which you sit.
We don't need to remind you of:
- minimum wage pay, while working at the front line of public services
- statutory minimum sick pay
- no pensions
- victimisation
- no travel passes
We don't need to remind you that other workers on the metro get better
pay and conditions, and that the cleaners are the lowest paid of workers
and get the worst pay and conditions without free travel passes - a
recognised norm of working in transport is to get travel on the service
you deliver.
We don't need to remind you that you wouldn't accept this poor pay and
conditions for council workers who you employ directly, and that in at
least one Tyne and Wear Authority councillors have recently commited to a
Living Wage
for council workers, other commissioned services and campaigning for all
employers in to support this lviing wage.
We don't need to remind you that while paying poverty pay and proposng a
0% pay rise this year, Churchill profits rose by over 80%.
We don't need to remind you that RMT cleaners voted 100% for strike
action. You can't get a more democratic mandate from workers for their
union.
So how can we ensure that cleaners on the metro get such a Living Wage and improvements to conditions.
Here are just a few things you could do:
- come out publically in favour of the cleaners demand
- demand of Churchill's that they address the cleaners demands and pay a living wage and improved conditions
- inform the local press and media your support for the workers
- as members of TWITA you could decide to honour the demand for free
travel passes for all cleaners immediately (this would be a gesture that
is in your power to make, but would also show up Churchill's
unreasonable behaviour)
- raise with DB Regio concerns about how they have commissioned cleaning
on the metro and ask them to put pressure on Churchills to improve
conditions
- meet with RMT representatives and cleaners to discuss there concerns
- come and support the cleaners on the picket lines when future strikes dates are planned
In the next few weeks the Anti Cuts Network will be distributing 20,000
leaflets door to door and on stalls across Tyne and Wear to encourage
residents to support the metro cleaners, to lobby yourselves as
councillors (so you now that this has public support) and to lobby
Churchill direct.
We will of course be happy to work with you if you give your full
support to the cleaners and to share throughout our networks the actions
you take to support the cleaners.
We are confident that this is a campaign that can succeed and that
together we can secure a Living Wage for all Cleaners and decent pay
conditions, and travel for all who work on the metro.
Tyne and Wear Anti Cuts Network
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