Merseyrail train carriage cleaners dispute set for more talks

The row is regarding pay and conditions for staff brought in to clean train carriages

A pay and conditions dispute involving train carriage cleaners for Merseyrail is set to go to arbitration.

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members voted to strike in a ballot which it later emerged had missed the turnout threshold for a legal strike.

The RMT will now meet Stadler bosses at the Advisory and Conciliation Service.

Stadler is the company which has the outsourced contract for cleaning Merseyrail carriages.

Forty-one from 47 union members who voted in the strike ballot opted for a walkout, but this was less than half the 107 members working for Stadler and failed to reach the 50% threshold for a legal strike.

RMT regional organiser John Tilley said: "We are hopeful for a resolution but if this does not happen we will re-ballot in the hope of getting a bigger turnout.

"Members voted overwhelmingly in this first ballot for a strike."

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The union claims the company wants to hire and rehire staff under inferior pay and conditions.

Earlier this month seven Labour MPs, Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson and 49 Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors from across Merseyside accused Merseyrail of "presiding over the appalling mistreatment of this heroic workforce".

Rob Baxter, managing director of Stadler Rail Service UK, said: "With several new contracts in the UK and brand new trains set to be delivered at a handful of locations up and down the country, Stadler is determined to hit the ground running.

"A big part of that is developing a trained, happy workforce under terms and conditions that they have helped shape.

"The consultation, which we are undertaking with every one of our carriage cleaners individually, will help us complete this critically important process."