OUTSOURCED CATERING STAFF AND LOW PAY ON LNER

That this House is concerned that outsourced catering staff who work for Rail Gourmet on the East Coast Mainline are being paid less than the Living Wage Foundation rate of £9 per hour, in spite of the fact that the latest accounts show the company made profits in excess of £4 million pounds in 2017; is further concerned that Rail Gourmet consistently argue that they are unable to pay the Living Wage because of restrictions built into their contract by franchise holders; notes that the East Coast Mainline is currently being run in the public sector by LNER and that RMT has successfully negotiated a Living Wage for catering staff with other franchises; and calls on LNER to take immediate action to ensure that all outsourced catering staff on the East Coast Mainline are paid at least the Living Wage Foundation rate and commit to bringing them back in-house.