Maintenance

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

Further to my previous circular IR/729/13 dated 18th December 2013, branches will be aware that following the referendum, members overwhelmingly rejected the 2013 pay offer. Whilst your union welcomed the move from individual contracts to collective bargaining, your union remains of the view that this offer was unacceptable as, for some members; the offer represented a below-inflation pay rise.

Tube Lines depot staff to be balloted for strike action over abuse of procedures

Tube union RMT confirmed today that it will begin balloting Tube Lines members at Northfields Depot for both strike action and action short of a strike later this week in a dispute over the wholesale abuse of agreements and procedures.

Among the catalogue of complaints tabled by the union are;

• abuse of the agreed Sickness and Attendance Agreements and Procedures
• denying members the right to access the grievance procedure
• withholding members’ sick pay
  

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and accordingly, we instruct the General Secretary to hold a referendum of our members with a recommendation to reject the offer, making clear that a vote to reject will lead to a ballot for industrial action should the employer not improve its inadequate offer.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised. LU Fleet branch and our representative on this contract to be advised by personal letter.

We note the information on file regarding the history of the ownership of this contract. This shows the succession of private companies which have profited from this area of work only to dispose of it once they lose interest. This reaffirms our view that contracting-out should be ended and all Transport for London activities returned to direct TfL control.

RAIL UNION RMT today called for a halt to planned cuts to Network Rail budgets and staffing levels, and a programme of immediate investment and recruitment in maintenance and renewals, as the regulator, the Office of Rail Regulation, backed the unions case that the cuts are reducing passenger services to tatters.

The ORR, which also sets the Network Rail budget, said that “underspends” [ie cuts] on maintenance work, deferred plans to renew infrastructure, and other factors including engineering works overruns are leading to severe delays for both passenger and freight services.

In every area, the company is either cutting jobs or preparing to cut jobs. It is deliberately under-staffing our workplaces, attacking our conditions and ‘reinterpreting’ our agreements. It wants to replace skilled workers with unreliable automation.

This is not aimed at improving our Tube but at saving millions of pounds following the government’s 12.5% cut to Transport for London’s funding.

London Underground Ltd plans

• to close every ticket office
• to get rid of nearly a thousand stations jobs (net job loss of around 750)
  

Tube union RMT said today that due to a complete breakdown in industrial relations for fleet grades on London Underground the union’s executive has decided to conduct a ballot of all LU fleet members for strike action and industrial action short of a strike.

We note the progress in collecting signatures for the request for Extraordinary General Meetings, and instruct the General Secretary to place this matter back in front of us on 7 November in preparation for submitting the requests. We request representatives to continue collecting signatures in order to maximise the pressure we can apply.

London Transport Regional Council, branches and representatives to be advised.

We note the resolution from our LU Fleet branch, and share its disgust at London Underground Ltd management’s attacks on the jobs and working conditions of our fleet maintenance members.