The RMT union has called on Sadiq Khan to suspend the awarding of a new £700m contract for Tube cleaning, claiming the Mayor may have been "misled" over his options to bring the work in-house. The union has obtained legal advice from barrister Michael Ford KC, which it says raises serious concerns about guidance given to the Mayor regarding the procurement process.
The union argues that directly employing cleaners under Transport for London would give them better pensions and improved sick pay rights. Currently, cleaners are paid the London Living Wage of £13.85 an hour and receive free travel, but the RMT says they are "denied a decent pension" and "denied sick pay" under the existing private contract with ABM, which has held the deal since 2017.
The dispute coincides with TfL commissioner Andy Lord urging the four Tube unions to accept a three-year pay offer covering all 16,500 staff. The offer includes a 3.4% rise for the current financial year, followed by increases matching the RPI inflation rate in February 2026 and 2027. Lord said this could see pay rise by about 10% over three years, describing it as "fair, affordable and reasonable". However, the deal does not include any reduction in the 35-hour working week, a central demand of the RMT.
The cleaning contract, due to expire next March, covers TfL offices, the Elizabeth line, the London Transport Museum and London Overground stations. The RMT says the process to consider insourcing was delayed by TfL, only beginning in June, and that after two meetings the union was told in August that it was too late to stop the re-tendering. General secretary Eddie Dempsey wrote to Mr Khan expressing concern that he may have been "misled" about the feasibility of bringing the contract in-house.
According to the RMT, the King's Counsel advice indicates the contract could have been extended a third time, contrary to what TfL had told the Mayor. The union also highlighted the cleaners' work during the pandemic, when they carried out "covid cleans" and decontamination of trains and stations. Dempsey said their treatment under ABM is a "continuing stain" on the reputation of TfL and the Greater London Authority.
A TfL spokesperson said the organisation continues to consider insourcing "where it brings clear benefits for both value and service delivery". The contract employs upwards of 2,000 staff, and the RMT is urging Khan to halt the tendering process to allow a genuinely objective options appraisal.
