RMT to ballot TFL and LU members

3 December 2021

To: ALL RMT MEMBERS AT LONDON UNDERGROUND/TRANSPORT FOR LONDON

Dear RMT Member

DEFENDING JOBS, PENSIONS & AGREEMENTS - LONDON UNDERGROUND / TRANSPORT FOR LONDON

You may know from media reports and previous communications RMT has sent out to members that your union has been seeking for some time now assurances on a number of matters which could have a huge impact on all members at both London Underground and Transport for London. It is the view of your union that the proposals which have been put forward through various forums and discussions will lead to job cuts and unacceptable casualised working practices.

Further, the pension reviews, which was set up by management to attack RMT members' pension rights, continue to develop proposals that could increase members' contributions, cut members' benefits and undermine the security of the scheme going forward. Your Regional Organiser has set out this union's demands to LU/TfL management, seeking assurances that:

  • There will be no detrimental changes made to our pension arrangements
  • There will be no reduction in headcount
  • There will be no changes made to our main or subsidiary agreements (frameworks and working arrangements)

To date, TfL/LUL management have failed to give these assurances and therefore the matter has been considered by your union's National Executive Committee which has instructed me to:

  • Inform LUL and TfL that we are in dispute with them over these matters
  • Conduct a ballot of all members in both TfL and LUL as a matter of urgency

I wrote to TfL/LUL yesterday reiterating the demands set out by your Regional Organiser. I notified them that failure to provide the assurances by noon on Monday 6th December will see this union issuing a formal notice of ballot.

As instructed by your NEC, members will be balloted for strike action and action short of a strike which could include:

  • No rest day working or overtime
  • No familiarisation of staff who do not usually work at a location
  • No training of staff for roles that are outside of their normal substantive role.
  • No undertaking of training that is outside of a member's normal substantive role

As I said above, the formal notice of ballot will hopefully be issued to your employer on Monday, which would mean voting papers being issued by the independent scrutineer from Monday 13th December. It is planned to close on 10th January 2022.

The fight now must be taken to London Underground and Transport for London management. It is time for the bosses to stop attacking those who kept London moving through the pandemic and respect staff. And now is the time for your union to defend RMT members and to defend jobs, pensions and all agreements we have with your employers.

So look out for the ballot papers as they come through your letter box and ensure you vote and ensure you vote YES for strike action and YES for action short of a strike.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Lynch
General Secretary