LONDON UNDERGROUND and Docklands Light Railway cleaners are to go on strike this weekend as part of an on-going national campaign against low wages in the sector.

DLR cleaners take action first, with a stoppage that begins at 5.30am on Thursday 29 November and continues until 5.29am on Saturday 1 December, while Tube cleaners walk out a day later, at 5.30am on Friday 30 November, returning to work at 5.29am on Sunday 2 December.

At least four over-ground rail networks across the country face similar action by around 1,000 cleaning staff, represented by the RMT union, at the same time.

“RMT is kicking off an unprecedented, co-ordinated national campaign for pay justice for cleaners across the transport industry,” said RMT leader Bob Crow.

“The rock-solid solidarity shown by RMT cleaners on previous strike days sends out a message that the union is geared up for an all-out fight for cleaners’ pay justice.”

One of the complications in the dispute is that cleaning services are usually contracted out by transport companies to smaller concerns which often win those contracts by holding down staff pay.

Nevertheless, previous action by the RMT has secured wage rises for various groups of cleaners, taking many from minimum wage rates to around the London Living Wage of £8.55 an hour.

“The train operators and public bodies who give a green light to exploitation by these parasites should be using their clout to force them back to the negotiating table,” said Crow.