Regional Organiser's April Report

RMT rejects London Underground pay offer

This year we put in a joint pay claim with Unite and Tssa (aslef were asked to join us but declined.) RMT, TSSA and Unite are meeting on Thursday 28th April to discuss our next joint positions (once again
Aslef were invited but declined.) RMT formally rejected London Underground's pay offer which was a five year deal. A 4 percent pay deal this year when inflation is 5.5 percent and inflation plus 0.25 percent for the next four years. We will be seeking more talks on pay and I will keep you informed of all progress made.

Ballot Regarding RMT Rep Victimisation

All Train Operators and Instructor Operators have been balloted for strike action over LUL's continuing victimisation of our representatives and activists. You are invited to attend a member's meeting on the date the all drivers ballot closes - 27th April 2011 to discuss the result and the next course of action. The meeting will be on Wednesday 27th April 2011 at 4pm YMCA Indian Student Hostel 41 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 6AQ (5 minutes from Warren Street station).

Alstom SMD Staff Transfer to Tube Lines

I met with Tubelines and Alstom management concerning the movement of Alstom Stratford market depot staff to Tubelines .Things have progresses fairly smoothly except for the fact that about 25 staff are in a DB scheme which Tubelines do not have. We should demand that TFL put all Alstom and indeed Tubelines staff in the TFL final salary pension scheme and be given free passes in line with everyone else in TFL and LUL. We should also demand The Northern line Alstom depots be taken back into TFL as privatisation has proved an abysmal and lasting failure.

Station Staff Cuts ACAS Review

The ACAS reviews of station staff cuts will resume tomorrow 27th April at 9am. Reports from reps will be distributed.

Victoria Line Disputes

Victoria line drivers issues remain unresolved. Management are thus far refusing to go to ACAS on sensitive edge or signage issues despite a ballot for action short of a strike being returned with a huge majority voting yes.

Campaign For Free Passes and LU Pensions for Tube Lines Staff

Alstom Stratford market depot train maintenance staff will be transferred to tubelines (now under TFL) under tupe. Now is the time to launch a campaign for free passes and TfL pensions for all tubelines
staff including former Alstom members.

CBS Pay talks

Cbs outdoors pay talks will take place on Thursday 19th may.

Original Tour Bus Company Dispute

On Saturday 23rd April around 15 RMT members and supporters leafleted the original tour bus company at Victoria station over the sacking of RMT member Zara Senkan. Zara for years suffered from sex
discrimination. Zara got practically no overtime and terrible shifts whilst her male colleagues got regular overtime and decent shifts over a period of two years. When she finally complained and entered a grievance she was swiftly dismissed on the pretence that she was disrespectful to managers. The RMT are taking her case to tribunal for sex discrimination and unfair dismissal. We will be organising more leafleting soon.

Objections To TFL/LUL Engagement Process

We held a joint TfL/LUL special staff side, followed by aspecial meeting of the TfL Company Council.

RMT and TSSA raised objections to the proposed methodology of a joint LUL/TfL engagement process on the grounds that LUL has its own Framework Agreements and bargaining groups, distinct from TfL, and that any matters relating to LUL employees should be dealt with through the LUL
Company Council with LUL management. If there is to be any Joint Working Party, it would need to be on the basis of Terms of Reference being defined within each CC and then a special combined CC established to discuss implementation of any JWP, including the number and composition of delegates. RMT and TSSA made it clear that a TfL CC had no jurisdiction to discuss matters which related to LUL employees and that the proposals as tabled by TfL, if implemented in LUL, could directly or indirectly affect operational Main Agreement staff as well as non-operational staff.

The Trades Unions raised the issue of seeking a definitive position on the fact that we believe the OCP was negotiated in 2003/4, together with concerns relating to the (non-)release of LUL Reps and the fact that the timetable of engagement had been unilaterally imposed without reference to the availability of the TU FTOs.

TfL responded by stating that they agreed that the industrial machinery was such that the TfL CC had no jurisdiction over LUL staff. The OCP is a TfL policy and the proposal had been to invite LUL non-ops Reps to participate in shaping the new policy. However, the offer of a JWP was now formally withdrawn. In respect of consultation vs negotiation, TfL were resolute in their position that the OCP was subject to
consultation. TSSA asked that TfL give their reasons for this position in writing, together with a written response on the other matters raised and TfL agreed to respond in writing to the TSSA and the JSSR Friday Prospect asked whether any new TfL OCP policy would be subsequently applied to LUL, and TfL responded by saying that, in keeping with the earlier now agreed position of LUL being a separate entity, they were not in a position to comment on what LUL may or may not do and this would need to be a matter for LUL. The TUs observed that LUL's letter to the JSSR a few days ago had confirmed that organisational change (specifically, the retrospective delegation of authority to a JWP) was to be discussed at the forthcoming LUL CC on 14th April.

TfL went on to state that, having made proposals for a new OCP, they intended to convene a further CC as per their original schedule for this Monday in order for the Trades Unions to make their detailed responses known. They stated that all TfL CC Reps were now on Full-Time release (see e-mail below). (Note from JSSR - whilst TfL ER will arrange this directly with the business, local Reps should nevertheless discuss the need for their release with their line managers). Where FTO were unable to attend, TfL stated that they would be happy for deputies to stand-in, although both TSSA and UNITE said that no Head Office officials would be available for either Monday or Tuesday.

TfL stated that LUL non-ops IR Reps would still be welcome to attend the special TfL CC meetings on an observer basis, but that release would be on a meeting-by-meeting basis and not full-time as the formal JWP had been withdrawn. Where LUL Reps wished to attend, the protocol would be to make their TU, Martin Boots and LUL ER aware.

The meeting closed with the JSSR making the observation that whether or not LUL adopted any revised OCP, it was likely that it would still apply to some current LUL employees as a result of block TUPE transfers between the companies arising from the outputs of some of the Horizon work streams.

Upcoming RMT Events

28th April between the Train Grade and Station Grade and Regional Council meeting a number of us each year, pay our respects to those Workers killed over the last year, within and outside of our industry,
both national and international by watering and weeding the tree at the front of Euston Station.

Please join us if you can.

Then of course there is MAYDAY on Sunday the 1st May where we meet at Farringdon Tube 12 noon and March to Trafalgar Square where, after hearing a number of keynote Speakers we will adjourn to the Bell and Compass public House to Honouring our Long Service members.

In the past this was always a Finsbury Park annual event, this year's we have opened it up to all Branches in the Regional Council and we hope that they will be bringing in along their long service members.