ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

People tasked with the job of cleaning London's public transport facilities are to qualify for free travel in the capital, according to Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Transport for London in-house employees already receive free transport within the city. But Khan has asked TFL to extend the offer to the city's lowest-paid contract workers, who include security and catering staff as well as cleaners.

"London's transport workers, who did so much for us during the pandemic, continue to play an essential and much-valued role in keeping our city's transport network safe and operating," he said.

"I'm deeply concerned that the spiralling cost of living is hitting those on lower incomes the hardest. That's why I'm taking unprecedented action to support London's lowest-paid transport workers by removing the cost of using public transport."

The mayor has also asked TFL to look into improving sick-pay standards and is exploring whether tube cleaning services could be brought in-house next year.

The free transport lifeline is expected to benefit around 5,000 people and will take effect from April 2023.

RMT union general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘We warmly welcome this news which is a victory and a big step forward in our campaign to win justice for London's tube cleaners."