Support for outsourced gatesolutions catering workers at LNER

That this House commends the work of outsourced catering workers who supply LNER trains with food along the route between London and Edinburgh; notes that providing a high quality catering offer will be vital to ensuring that Great British Railways is able to provide an attractive offer to passengers; further notes with concern that catering staff who supply LNER trains are currently outsourced to gatesolutions, an arm of Swiss multinational Gate Group, whose turnover last year was £4.7 billion; is disturbed to learn that the management of gatesolutions are now refusing to honour the Real Living Wage, having previously paid it; is dismayed that some of these workers, who are disproportionately from BME backgrounds and work unsocial hours, will now face rates barely above the statutory minimum; believes that this undermines the Government’s aspiration that Great British Railways be one railway, one team, a champion of diversity and an employer of choice; calls on publicly owned LNER to bring its contractor into line and ensure that a pay offer is made that resolves the dispute; and further calls on the Government to direct LNER to begin discussions with the RMT over insourcing this contract.