Hundreds of cleaners protested outside Parliament today to demand higher pay.

Staff working for Churchill - an outsourcing company whose employees clean trains and stations for Southeastern and Eurostar - staged a protest in London on Wednesday.

Taking part in a one-day strike, Churchill employees say they are angry at the government for freezing railway pay and demand MPs take action.

According to rail union RMT, most workers earn less than both the national minimum wage (£8.91 per hour) and the living wage (£9.50 per hour).

Rail cleaners involved in the walk-out and their supporters gathered outside Old Palace Yard at 10.45am on Wednesday.

Mick Lynch, the General Secretary of rail union RMT, said: “The rail industry make a lot of noise about how important they think cleaning is but the reality is that they, and the government, turn a blind eye to gross exploitation by outsourcing companies like Churchill.

"This is a company that is handing out dividends while paying cleaners poverty wages and refusing to pay sick pay when they get ill.

“These unprecedented strikes show that members have had enough and won’t take it any longer."

"The government needs to wake up and listen to our members.

“The Prime Minister was right when he said cleaners do an ‘extraordinary job’ but, as so often, it’s just so much empty bluster.

“His government has done nothing but freeze pay on the railways while the cost of living crisis spirals out of control.

“Our demonstration outside Parliament will let MPs know that the days when cleaners could be ignored are over.”

News Shopper has contacted a Churchill representative for comment.

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