Hundreds of rail cleaners will go on strike today (Wednesday) in a dispute over pay.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) employed by outsourcing company Churchill will walk out for 24 hours.
They clean trains and stations on Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern, Southeastern, Eurostar and HS1 services.
The RMT said it was the biggest ever strike by rail cleaners. The union will stage a protest outside Parliament in support of the action.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The rail industry make a lot of noise about how important they think cleaning is, but the reality is that they and the Government turn a blind eye to gross exploitation by outsourcing companies like Churchill.
“The Government needs to wake up and listen to our members. The Prime Minister was right when he said cleaners do an ‘extraordinary job’, but as so often it’s just so much empty bluster.
“His Government has done nothing but freeze pay on the railways while the cost-of-living crisis spirals out of control.
“Our demonstration outside Parliament will let MPs know that the days when cleaners could be ignored are over.”
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