PAY & CONDITIONS, SO4 GRADE SIGNALLERS, EARL’S COURT – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/3)

The following resolution was recently received from Piccadilly & District West Branch:-

“This Branch notes the recent consultation between the SO4 Grade Signallers and the Regional Organiser and the signal/control room Functional Council Rep. The Earl’s Court Service Operators do not feel satisfied that they are being treated fairly with regards to migration to the new Hammersmith Control Room for the following reasons:-

To retain their current jobs, salary and conditions, they have to take a promotion to the SCL2 Grade along with the added responsibilities associated with that position, whilst the SCL1’s at Baker Street are being assimilated to positions within the new Hammersmith Control Room without having to incur additional skills.

As the senior, or equivalent grade, this Branch feels that the same concession afforded to the Baker Street SCL1’s should also be made to the Earl’s Court SO4’s.

This Branch also fails to understand how the SO4 Grade at Earl’s Court, with their experience of the control room environment, can be overlooked and bypassed by the SO1 to 3 signal operator grade, (some of whom have failed to obtain the criteria required to obtain a position at Earl’s Court), to take up roles within Hammersmith. This is difficult to understand when Earl’s Court is due to close before the signal cabins from Whitechapel to Upminster (District Line) and Harrow on the Hill to Amersham and Rickmansworth and Rayners Lane (Metropolitan Line).

It is also unacceptable to this Branch that when the Piccadilly Line migrates out of Earl’s Court, the surplus SO4’s will be moved to the signal cabins in order to allow the SO1 to 3’s to be released for training to take their positions at Hammersmith.

With the uncertainty regarding their future employment, our SO4 Grade members at Earl’s Court are worried about what other grades and locations they will be redeployed to and why they are not being allowed to follow the negotiated positions to Hammersmith (as per the ACAS agreement of 26^th June 2012), the SO4 Grade have made it clear that they wish to go into dispute with the LUL management until clear assurances with regard to their future employment are secured, and this Branch too supports that position for industrial action and industrial action short of a strike”.

This matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee which has referred it to the Southern Sub-Committee for examination and report. I will keep Branches advised of all further developments.