OUTSOURCED cleaners on Merseyrail will strike over low pay this week, RMT has announced.

The transport union said that repeated attempts to negotiate had failed to see Churchill Services put forward an acceptable offer to its members.

They are now due to walk out for 24 hours on Friday.

The union believes that Churchill can improve the current pay offer: the firm reported a post-tax profit of £15.3 million for the 2025 financial year and distributed dividends of some £13.5m, with its highest-paid director — also a significant shareholder — paid a whopping £603,000.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that the firm clearly had the capacity to fund the relatively small extra cost required to maintain the current pay differential sought by members.

“Churchill must recognise that our members are some of the poorest paid in our industry and need a pay offer that lifts them out of poverty,” he said.

“The current offer falls well short of that modest demand and now we must make the employer understand that our members are serious about securing a fair pay deal.

“It also remains our view that these workers should be insourced immediately so they can receive the same terms and conditions as directly employed Merseyrail staff.”

RMT won an improved pay offer of nearly 7 per cent from Churchill after threatening 48-hour strike action in April 2025.

Churchill was contacted for comment.