Tube cleaners could strike over pensions and pay

RMT said the cleaners – working across four private contractors – could choose to strike to get "decent pensions", the London living wage of around £7.20 an hour, 28 days’ holiday, sick pay and travel facilities.

The union is also calling for the end of third-party sacking, which means cleaners can be dismissed without a disciplinary hearing or right of appeal.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "The people who keep one of the world’s most prestigious metro systems clean have the right to be paid a wage on which they can afford to live in the city. Sick pay, adequate holidays and a decent pension scheme are not optional luxuries – they are basic decent employment standards."

The ballot is planned to open today and close on June 19.