Recognition for railway cleaners

That this House pays tribute to rail cleaners working for train companies Network Rail, Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground, who worked throughout the pandemic and since to keep our rail services clean and safe; notes that the vast majority of these cleaners are outsourced to sub-contractors, meaning that they have lower pay, no access to sick pay and pensions and are barred from the free and discounted travel facilities that are given to many other rail workers; believes it is wholly unfair that, while rail cleaners are not in receipt of rail travel concessions, train company directors do receive this benefit; welcomes the recent decision by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to give travel facilities to all outsourced cleaners working for TfL and London Underground, and that he is exploring the option to bring cleaning in-house; calls on the Secretary of State for Transport to mandate the Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to follow the London Mayor’s example and provide free travel for outsourced rail cleaners; and further calls on the London Mayor and the Secretary of State to insource these cleaners, to bring them into direct employment and to end the unjust treatment of these keyworkers.