ABM Cleaners

From Bob Crow, General Secretary

Further to my last letter, it has been brought to my attention that ISS has displayed posters at some workplace locations, demonstrating how to use the new Biometric Fingerprinting Machines for booking on for duty. This situation is unacceptable to your union and I am writing to reassure members that you have our full support.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

I wrote to you last week concerning our dispute with ISS over their planned introduction of Fingerprinting technology to book on for duty. We see this technology as an invasion of your civil liberties and a threat to your jobs. It now appears that management are planning to impose this new Biometric fingerprinting process from early March 2014 so your union’s executive has considered this matter further and decided to call a ballot of all members for strike action. Preparations are under way to hold this ballot in the near future.

We note that despite this union’s objections - the infringement of our members’ civil liberties and the threat to jobs - ISS (LU CONTRACT) are pressing ahead with the use of this technology. We further note that they intend to impose this technology on March 2nd and have been insisting our members sign documentation in advance of this imposition threatening our members that they must use this technology or they will not be paid. We instruct the General Secretary to seek legal advice on this matter as soon as possible.

We note the correspondence from Tube Lines Ltd, which clarifies that its contract with ISS requires an ‘improved method of accurate recording’, but does not specify that it must be this biometric method. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to advise ISS that we reject its claim that it is contractually required to introduce this system, and demand that it negotiate with us on using a system that does not compromise our members’ dignity and civil rights.

Further, we instruct the General Secretary to:
1. Organise a protest against ISS’s planned imposition of biometric booking on

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and understand that there have been further developments since this was submitted. We instruct the General Secretary to obtain and place in front of us an up-to-date report.

London Transport Regional Council, LU Fleet branch, and London Underground cleaners’ representatives to be advised.

This is our Council Of Executive Member Janine Booth's report to the regional Council meeting for September. This is just a brief overview - many of the items will be on this site, but you can find out more by attending regional council held on the last Thursday of each month at the Exmouth Arms near Euston Station. EQUALITIES REPORT Women • Advisory Committee meeting today; verbal report to be given

In this months newsletter:

• We Will Unite & Fight to Stop Job Cuts
• Why Can’t LU Keep Ticket Offices Open?
• RMT Taxi Branch Resists Attempts to Loosen Rules on “Plying for Hire”
• RMT will Demand Payment for all Staff Working on Boxing Day
• Tube Lines Pension Dispute
• Bombardier Pay And Conditions Talks Continue
• RMT Push For Increased Representation at TfL
• RMT will Demand Payment for all Staff Working on Boxing Day
• Back Dated Pay Rises For Cleaners & Security Workers Still Short Of London Living Wage
• STOP PRESS: CLEANERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY to refuse to use fingerprint scanners to book on for Duty

This article and the attached newsletter was updated on the 22nd of September to remove an outdated story about a member facing disciplinary

We note the report from our Regional Organise. We note that the employer has confirmed a backdated pay increase of 3% for security staff and 5% for cleaners. We congratulate our members on winning this pay rise through our campaign of industrial action and persistent negotiation.

However, this increase still does not bring pay rates up to the London Living Wage. We instruct the Regional Organiser to continue to press for improvements in these members' pay and conditions.

That we note the result of the ballot for action short of strikes is as follows:-

Total Votes Cast 103
Number Voting ‘Yes’ 101 (98%)
Number Voting ‘No’ 2
Spoilt Papers 0

We congratulate our members on their determination to resist this draconian attack on civil liberties. We instruct our members to take industrial action short of strikes from 00:01 on Thursday 19 September 2013 until further notice, by booking on and off duty using the established method and not using the biometric machines.