London Underground and TfL have taken industrial relations to a new low with their recent disgraceful pay ‘offer’: RPI +1% this year, followed by RPI + nothing for the next four. This ‘offer’ follows a period in which LUL has abused and misused the Attendance at Work Procedure in order to harass and penalise staff who have suffered illness or injury. And the company’s latest plan is to renege on the ‘jobs for life’ agreement which was made at the time of the enforced introduction of PPP six years ago, opening the way for wholesale job cuts. Our union has been left with no alternative but to organise resistance to these attacks: a ballot of all TfL and LUL members is now underway and you are strongly urged to VOTE YES for strike action. Why? Well it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1. Pay With RPI now heading below 0% and, in any case, consistently underestimating the real increases in the cost of living, this ‘offer’ represents a pay cut every year for the next five years. It’s more than just a slap in the face – it’s a knee in the groin. There is no justification for cutting our pay in real terms for the next five years, despite the credit crunch. Banks and businesses may be going to the wall as a result of corporate greed and a government which allowed the rich bankers to ‘regulate’ themselves, but London Underground continues to carry more passengers than ever (up to 4 million a day, according to the company’s own figures), and has consistently increased it’s fares by more than the inflation rate, including a whopping 6% this year.

LUL also admits that staff sickness absence is at a low and that our excellent performance is reflected in the Customer Satisfaction Survey results. In a nutshell, our productivity is the highest it has ever been. So is a pay cut the right reward for this sustained effort? No, it is not. The company, which has not been affected by the credit crunch in the way many others have, is using the credit crunch to bash its staff over the head. We would be mugs if we tolerated this. VOTE YES to fight for a fair pay deal.

2. Job Cuts You’ve heard about the 1,000 staff LUL wants to axe from 55 Broadway; the company has made a lot of the fact that these staff are non-operational. However, the cuts won’t stop at 55 Broadway if the company succeeds in tearing up the ‘jobs for life’ agreement which was made at the time of the imposition of the PPP. This agreement was meant to protect staff who were forcibly transferred to Metronet and Tubelines under PPP. The company is now hoping to tear up this agreement so as to be able to make wholesale job cuts much easier. If we allow them to get away with it, then our job security will fly out of the window. Only a fool would stand by and let that happen. VOTE YES for job security and a properly staffed Underground.

3. Agreements Whilst our union fights for 21st century working conditions, LUL wants to return to the 19th century when it was normal for bosses to rule by fear. What else can we conclude about a company which, over the last couple of years, has encouraged its local managers to hand out maximum length warnings for sickness absence, regardless of circumstances; a company whose managers routinely harass sick members of staff with unwanted phone calls and unannounced home visits, with the aim of bullying them back to work; and a company which continues to harass union reps such as our own branch Chair, Glen Watson (See Strike Balloton the Vic in this issue). LUL managers across the combine are misusing and abusing the Attendance at Work Policy to the detriment of our members in all grades. Other agreements are also being ‘re-interpreted’ by the company, including the SPAD policy where drivers are now being sent to Case Conference after three SPADS (not four, as per the policy) in a 2-year period. ‘Staff errors’ are now being recorded on members’ holistic reports for later use in disciplinary action – this is a crafty way of circumventing the Disciplinary Procedure as a rep cannot get involved until a disciplinary hearing is called. This drift towards a 19th century workplace cannot be allowed to continue. Unless doffing your cap and wearing out the knees of your trousers is your thing, VOTE YES for decent working conditions. VOTE YES for respect in the workplace and for a company which abides by its own agreements.

The strike ballot closes on 8th April. If you do not received a ballot paper, inform you local rep immediately or phone 0800 376 3706. Vote YES