Regional Organiser's report: Jobs / Pay / Justice dispute

I am writing regarding the latest position in negotiations with LUL and TfL over pay, the 'jobs for life' deal and bullying of our members.

Talks at ACAS have broken down because management have refused to discuss pay and bullying. The 'jobs for life' deal has been discussed but despite this deal being signed off by Gordon Brown and guaranteed by John Prescott management are refusing point blank to abide by it.

We have had another Goebbels-like piece of propaganda in senior management's 'Heads Up' communiqué stating that there are now only 70 jobs at risk and there were over 250 vacancies. If this were true then management could easily guarantee everyone at least one alternative job: why then are they not prepared to do this?

Meanwhile, vacancies are left unfilled with over 150 positions vacant. The slack is being picked up by you who have to work harder so the company can save over £4 million in wages. Waiting lists for RCI revenue jobs are now two years long and management have tried to limit Station Supervisor positions to those who hold a ticket office licence. The RMT complained about this and had this proposal knocked back. Nevertheless because of management's refusal to fill vacancies your promotional progress is being stymied.

The 'Heads Up' contains another threat, this time to pensions with senior management now claiming our current pension arrangement are becoming 'unsustainable'.

With all this in mind, the London Transport Regional Council has recommended that the Executive Committee of the union name more dates for strike action and co-ordinate these with mainline rail strikes and other workers taking action. This is a last resort and is only recommended due to the fact that management are not prepared to negotiate seriously. Hopefully by calling more days management will have to return to the table and negotiate seriously. If they don’t then more strikes seem inevitable.

Meanwhile on TfL, where the RMT has only a minority of members, management are still trying to push through a four-year pay deal that takes us well past the Olympics. RMT members have fought this and proposed job cuts on TfL and will continue to do so despite the other unions not joining the action.

The RMT is fighting for every job: can the other unions say the same?

I will of course keep you informed of all developments

Yours sincerely
Steve Hedley
Regional Organiser