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Tubes to ‘gather filth’ as cleaners are axed
TUBE workers have told the New Journal that stations in Camden will fill with filth because private underground operators are sacking cleaners to cut costs.
Cleaners from sub-contractor ISS said Tube Lines, the consortium which runs the Northern, Jubilee, and Piccadilly lines, has been in talks with their bosses about slashing the value of its train and stations cleaning contract.
Stations will be left to gather rubbish and fill with disgusting spills for long periods as 100 jobs are axed from the workforce on the orders of the PPP company, they said.
Tube Lines confirmed the planned cuts and said they were “obliged to find ways of maintaining the Underground more efficiently” under their deal with London Underground, which gives them a 30 year contract to maintain the lines.
Two cleaners met the New Journal under conditions of confidentiality to describe a series of meetings last week in which ISS managers explained that the axe would fall as Tube Lines sought 20 per cent savings on cleaning contracts.
One cleaner said: “Tube Lines, who are the client, said they should do the redundancies.
ISS said they would have to lower the cleaning specifications, but in the end they will do what Tube Lines wants because otherwise they lose the contract.
“Even before yesterday’s meeting, we had already had 128 jobs cut down. It means they are asking one person to do what used to be done by three people.”
The New Journal has also learnt that smaller stations like Belsize Park, Highgate and Kilburn are likely to bear the brunt of the cut-backs.
A Tube Lines spokeswoman said the priority would be busier junctions and large stations.
She said: “We’re only talking about superficial cleaning. The busier stations will be maintained at the standards they are now, but there may be (less cleaning) at some of the quieter stations which tend to be cleaner and tidier.”
ISS had failed to comment at the time of going to press. |
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