OUTSOURCING IN THE EAST MIDLANDS RAIL FRANCHISE

That this House is concerned by the uncertainty faced by staff working in the East Midlands rail franchise as a result of the controversy surrounding the franchise award; notes that this state of anxiety is even greater for the many outsourced workers who are employed by Rail Gourmet, Interserve and Churchill to provide catering and cleaning services on trains and in stations for the East Midlands franchise; further notes that outsourced workers endure low pay rates that are often only just above the minimum wage, long shifts with anti-social hours, unequal access to basic workplace facilities and perpetual employment insecurity on exploitative and precarious contracts; believes that the awarding of the franchise to Abillio provides an opportunity to begin to redress these injustices on behalf of hard-working staff; and calls on Abillio to commit to becoming a Rowntree Foundation living wage employer and begin negotiations with the RMT on bringing these workers back into direct employment.