Boris Johnson has announced that the London Living Wage is going up 15p to £7.60. It's hardly a fortune, but many workers - including many of our own Tube cleaners - are not even on the old LLW rate, let alone the new one.
In light of the increase in the LLW, RMT should submit a new claim to the cleaning companies for the London Living Wage for all cleaners, plus improved conditions such as free travel. The union can then launch a renewed recruitment drive based around the claim. After all, cleaners are far more likely to join a union with a definite prospect of winning better pay and conditions than just for the sake of it. Together with a campaign for all immigrant cleaners' right to stay and work legally, this could form the basis to turn around the decline in the union's strength following victimisation of cleaners in the wake of last year's strike.
