Last week, London Overground cleaning contractor John Laing contacted several of its migrant workers and told them to report to a particular place to do overtime. When they arrived, they found there was no overtime – instead, there was a squad of immigration officers who took them into detention.
This is an all too familar story, and you can’t help wonder if this is in any way connected to the fact that the RMT forced John Laing Contractors last August into recognising the union, after they refused to do so voluntarily.
Of course, detention and deportation of unionised cleaners is nothing new. Staff working for Amey, Bristol-Based Mitie have all had the Border Agency brought in to attempt to quell there increasing radicalism and challenge to the poor conditions and pay that come with one of the most physically demanding proffesions.
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