CLEANERS on contracts with outsourcing giant ISS are staging a protest tomorrow against the firm’s plans to alter its payroll schedule that mean that they will have to wait longer for their wages.

Transport union RMT members working for the company at Arriva Rail North will protest outside Manchester’s Victoria Station against the changes to the payroll, which include doubling, to 11, the number of days they are owed pay in arrears.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the firm had given no thought to how the low-paid workers were going to “be able to cope with the detrimental changes” to their finances and called on ISS to withdraw “these unnecessary” proposals.

“The move will cause unnecessary hardship and inconvenience to workers doing some of the dirtiest jobs on the railway,” he said.

Another protest was held in Liverpool last week by hospital workers. Unions GMB and Unite said the new policy means staff, including hospital cleaners, porters and catering workers, will face a delay of several weeks before receiving their pay.

And in Scotland, a worker told Scottish Labour that colleagues at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride are being forced to have “embarrassing and humiliating” conversations with management because the new system, due to be introduced in May, will delay the payment of wages.

Workers who will struggle to make ends meet without their wages are being offered “bridging loans” to help make up the shortfall.

The hospital worker said the support offered by the hospital consists of one-to-one meetings at which workers have to reveal their personal financial details to explain why they cannot pay back the loan in the period required.

Scottish Labour’s shadow health secretary Monica Lennon said it was a scandal that workers were being forced into this situation.

“Staff should be paid the wages that they are due, not be forced into debt or have to explain their financial circumstances to their bosses,” she said.

ISS said it was updating its payroll system as a “necessity” because its current one will no longer be supported. The firm insists that it will not withhold any money that is payable to staff.