What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

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Tangled Metal
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What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by Tangled Metal »

I've been very busy today with audit and way too many projects for my own good, but half read something about a spat between RMT and GMB unions. Something about the RMT removing the travel allowance for their cleaners despite supporting calls for it in other organisations? Something about two tier deals offered by RMT? Is the GMB calling the RMT hypocrisy out?
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by reohn2 »

Something about a link perhaps?
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by PH »

Only reported in the Telegraph, I'll wait for a more reliable source of information before forming an opinion.
briansnail
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by briansnail »

Problem with all unions.Top people get super high salaries.People like cleaners get peanuts.
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Bonefishblues
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by Bonefishblues »

briansnail wrote: 16 May 2023, 2:55pm Problem with all unions.Top people get super high salaries.People like cleaners get peanuts.
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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage.
RMT is 83,000 membership, Leader gets 120K. It's a big and complex organisation. Seems fair reward to me.
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bikes4two
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by bikes4two »

briansnail wrote: 16 May 2023, 2:55pm Problem with all unions.Top people get super high salaries.
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Given that there are around 120+ unions in the UK, you must have done a lot of your own research to make such a statement? Or maybe you've an axe to grind and like throwing around such wild comments?
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by PH »

Bonefishblues wrote: 16 May 2023, 3:03pm
briansnail wrote: 16 May 2023, 2:55pm Problem with all unions.Top people get super high salaries.People like cleaners get peanuts.
RMT is 83,000 membership, Leader gets 120K. It's a big and complex organisation. Seems fair reward to me.
Plus of course the RMT membership get to elect the general secretary every five years and I expect there's a mechanism to remove them before that should they be dissatisfied. Doesn't really matter what briansnail thinks of a union's leadership, unless they're a member, the union isn't there to serve them.
mumbojumbo
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by mumbojumbo »

A union with 80000 members effectively asks each to pay 3 pence a week to fund their leader's pay. A pay rise of a penny a day will fund the payment .I would gladly spend a penny to get an effective leader .In fact there can be few more enjoyable ways to spend a penny, legally.
Tangled Metal
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by Tangled Metal »

PH wrote: 15 May 2023, 9:59pm Only reported in the Telegraph, I'll wait for a more reliable source of information before forming an opinion.
I thought I saw it in guardian or independent too, but was too busy to check again. If it is then you'll believe it I reckon.
Tangled Metal
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Having said that, guardian has been putting up "articles" online lately decidedly far left in sentiment. They seem like news articles but the by-line says "story by" then a name. Has it got rid of it's discredited "comment is free " strand and this has replaced it with stories passing off as news?

The proper guardian news is still OK, just the misleading opinion stories is as iffy as CIF strand from year or so ago.
Stevek76
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by Stevek76 »

Bonefishblues wrote: 16 May 2023, 3:03pm
briansnail wrote: 16 May 2023, 2:55pm Problem with all unions.Top people get super high salaries.People like cleaners get peanuts.
*************************************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage.
RMT is 83,000 membership, Leader gets 120K. It's a big and complex organisation. Seems fair reward to me.

Compare with the directors of England's privatised water companies meanwhile, almost all are in seven figures with some up to £4m. About as cushy as it gets.
The contents of this post, unless otherwise stated, are opinions of the author and may actually be complete codswallop
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by PH »

Tangled Metal wrote: 16 May 2023, 6:20pm
PH wrote: 15 May 2023, 9:59pm Only reported in the Telegraph, I'll wait for a more reliable source of information before forming an opinion.
I thought I saw it in guardian or independent too, but was too busy to check again. If it is then you'll believe it I reckon.
I did a google search and every result led to the Telegraph. I don't consider the Guardian any more reliable, if those were the only two sources I'd have to guess the truth lay somewhere in between. That the GMB and RMT might be having a pop at each other isn't news. What are the facts? What is the pay offer that this is a part of? Why is this element not included? Is it a good offer? Who negotiated it? Are the cleaners well represented? Do they have a fair opportunity to reject? Is there reasonable arbitration if they do?
I doubt I'll find the answers in the Telegraph, it probably isn't their idea of news, but without that sort of information, how can anyone know what the story is about, let alone form an opinion.
harriedgary
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by harriedgary »

RMT like almost any other union has the same low opinion of cleaners. Cleaners are seen as the lowest, treated the worst, paid the least.
I would whole heartedly support the RMT if it could prove it was standing shoulder to shoulder with all the train and station cleaning staff.
It's a universal truth.
When in actual fact, the worst jobs to do, should be the best paid. The best jobs, the nice relaxing clean safe jobs should be paid less. But this civilisation seems to value other things than cleaners.
I support cleaners. And if cleaners across the country went on strike, total strike, then you'd really find out how valuable they are. Binmen strikes are always quite effective have you noticed. Mounds of rubbish quickly build up on streets, and people moan and moan and moan. But still they treat cleaners as trash.
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reohn2
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by reohn2 »

harriedgary wrote: 1 Jun 2023, 2:41pm RMT like almost any other union has the same low opinion of cleaners. Cleaners are seen as the lowest, treated the worst, paid the least.
I would whole heartedly support the RMT if it could prove it was standing shoulder to shoulder with all the train and station cleaning staff.
It's a universal truth.
When in actual fact, the worst jobs to do, should be the best paid. The best jobs, the nice relaxing clean safe jobs should be paid less. But this civilisation seems to value other things than cleaners.
I support cleaners. And if cleaners across the country went on strike, total strike, then you'd really find out how valuable they are. Binmen strikes are always quite effective have you noticed. Mounds of rubbish quickly build up on streets, and people moan and moan and moan. But still they treat cleaners as trash.
Whilst I've no idea whether the RMT has a low opinion about cleaning staff,I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of your post.
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Re: What's the issue RMT union has with it's own cleaners?

Post by PH »

harriedgary wrote: 1 Jun 2023, 2:41pm RMT like almost any other union has the same low opinion of cleaners.
I hoped when seeing new contributions to this thread that someone might have the answers either to the question posed in it's title or those I asked weeks ago. Disappointed that isn't the case. Every search still leads back to the Telegraph who they haven't expanded on it. Doesn't anyone think it a little odd that a story about union hypocrisy hasn't been picked up by any other paper? They're not normally hesitant to let such an opportunity for union bashing go. It suggests to me it wasn't much of a story to start with, though I'd still be interested in some facts. Or maybe there are other reports and I've missed them?

On the RMT's attitude to cleaners, they represent a fair few themselves and have a cleaners charter, I doubt they lack the understanding of the role and employment conditions.
https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/publication ... s-charter/
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