Report from Company Council Sub Group (CCSG) on Fit for the Future Talks

Fit for the Future Update from CCSG 17.12.15

At Company Council Sub Group today LU presented us with a further update to their Framework proposals. The proposals as they now stand remain unacceptable to us but some significant progress has been made this week on certain issues.

Changes to Duties at short notice

Having re-tabled their proposal that any duty can be changed without your agreement at 24 hours notice management have now withdrawn this (again). Their proposal is now that non-cover duties can only be moved by up to 2 hours at seven days notice. However, cover duties could still be changed by any amount at 24 hours notice. We have made clear that we cannot accept this. RMT members being moved into rosters that include cover need more protection of our work/life balance than this. There is no good reason why the company cannot roster effectively 28 days in advance.

Other important changes in the proposals include:

  • Shifts on adjacent cover groups will be limited to book on times after 06:30 and book offs before 23:30. This will prevent members from being required to use staff taxis or night buses to travel distances to get to another cover group. It will also reduce the chances of being asked to work on an adjacent cover group.
  • Part timers will now only do cover duties with the same start/finish as their own rostered duties.
  • HGW when you hold a higher grade license will only be compulsory on your own area (HGW will be paid). HGW on other areas will be voluntary. This will significantly reduce the number of times a member holding a higher grade license is likely to be required to work on other areas.

Transfer & Promotion (T&P) – No Hidden Job Cuts

The company has tabled transfer & promotion proposals that breach the main agreement (the agreement that covers all operational grades).

Management want to be able to decide when and even if they will fill vacancies on stations. This means that whatever job figures they show us in rosters they can decide how many will really work on our stations by just leaving positions vacant. There is a real risk that 838 job cuts could become 938 or over a thousand by leaving a few vacancies unfilled. This would make an already difficult situation impossible on many of our understaffed stations.

RMT is insisting that the T&P includes a commitment from LU to fill vacancies.

Management also want to turn their backs on the main agreement in relation to promotion. We will not agree to external recruitment of the grades above CSA as this will destroy promotion opportunities for members.

Threat of Imposition Remains

Management have insisted they do not want to use new contracts as a way of enforcing Fit for the Future, but they will not rule out forcing members to sign them in January! They are also making thinly veiled threats to impose a new framework in February if we do not accept their proposals in January.

RMT negotiators will not agree a sub-standard framework under threats from management. We have made it very clear to them that ANY attempt to impose will lead to strike action. Management will explain their intentions in the first week of January and we must be ready to respond to any imposition.

Location Matters

Paul Schindler has written to LU seeking agreement on when location matters appeals will be heard. It is vital that all L1 reps let Paul know about any member who will be having a personal appeal. It is unlikely that we will be able to get SFC reps to do them all so we will need to brief local reps. Please notify Paul of any members we should be representing by emailing him at schindlerrmt@gmail.com

 

Fraternally,

Jared.

RMT SFC Staffside Secretary

jaredrmt@gmail.com

07739 869867