TfL Announces Reorganisation Which RMT Believes Will Lead To Privatisation & Cuts

Submitted by rmtlondon on 7 November, 2013 - 13:34

We note the correspondence from Transport for London dated 12 September 2013, and instruct the General Secretary to forward this to our TfL reps and our TfL no.1 branch and to post it on our website alongside this decision and our ‘What is Market Testing?’ briefing.

We reaffirm that RMT opposes market testing, a process which is used as a pretext either to privatise services or to make cuts to in-house services. In line with this, we note that TfL’s letter sets out that it is making plans to:

  • either reorganise or outsource Recruitment
  • reorganise Learning and Development

RMT To Ballot For Industrial Action Over Tube Use Of Agency Workers

Submitted by rmtlondon on 7 November, 2013 - 13:27

We note the continuing widespread use of agency labour by London Underground Ltd (and other parts of Transport for London): as of 2 April this year, there were 829 'non-permanent' staff on London Underground Ltd. LUL’s continuing use and abuse of agency staff is seriously detrimental to LUL employees, as it undermines their opportunities to obtain and retain work and creates disruption in the workplace Ltd. We reaffirm our demand that LUL stops using agencies and offers their workers permanent employment - including those of the 33 former Trainpeople employees that it has not yet employed.

RMT Reject Insulting Tube Bosses' Assertion That Station Staff Not Good Enough To Drive Trains

Submitted by rmtlondon on 7 November, 2013 - 13:22

We note the correspondence from London Underground Ltd, advising that it plans to recruit Train Operators from "the open market" and the Military Redeployment Agency.

We reject LUL's assertion that "the agreed internal processes have been exhausted without success". We believe that the implication that internal applicants, primarily Customer Service Assistants, are not good enough to become drivers is inaccurate and insulting. There are very few promotional opportunities for CSAs; this move further reduces those opportunities.

RMT Internal Structure Review - Branch Input Concludes

Submitted by rmtlondon on 7 November, 2013 - 13:07

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow - 11th July 2013

Under Item No. 41, the 2011 Annual General Meeting adopted a resolution to commission an independent review of our internal structure and to report back to the 2012 Annual General Meeting with any recommendations deemed necessary. Due to the proposals regarding a merger between RMT and the TSSA, this matter was postponed while discussions took place.

WEA Course: Employment Law Update

Submitted by rmtlondon on 7 November, 2013 - 02:36

The WEA is running a one day briefing for all union reps, officers and members who want to get up to date with all the latest employment law changes brought in and planned by the Coalition Government.

The day will be a mix of information and also small group activities. Please see the attached leaflet for details about this course.

(Still) The enemy within

Submitted by Eamonn Lynch on 5 November, 2013 - 19:35

In 1984, Margaret Thatcher labelled 160,000 striking miners, their families and supporters, ‘The Enemy Within’. It was to be the longest industrial dispute in British history.

As the strike began, a group of miners emerged that were prepared to fight on the front line of every major battle. They were demonised by the media and despised by the government.

Dubbed ‘Arthur’s Army’, they were to lead a fightback that would not just rock the government but would change British society forever.

Young Members Conference 2014

I am pleased to advise you that we will be holding the 2014 RMT Young Members’ Conference in Edinburgh. The Conference opens with a Reception event for delegates on Thursday 20th February; all delegates are invited to attend. The Conference proper opens at 10.00hrs Friday 21st February and closes at 14.00hrs Saturday 22nd February 2014.

  1. Delegates are invited to arrive on Thursday 20th for a Conference reception meeting in the reception of the Premier Inn at 18.00hrs.
  2. The Conference itself will take place at the Premier Inn in Haymarket, Edinburgh.

20th Anniversary Of Railway Privatisation Disaster

Submitted by rmtlondon on 5 November, 2013 - 02:57

20 years on from the Act privatising Britain’s railways RMT calls for an end to the great rail rip-off
With November 5th marking the twentieth anniversary of the passing of the Railways Act, which condemned lifeline transport services in Britain to a generation of fragmentation and exploitation, rail union RMT has launched a fresh drive to end the privatised rip off which has left passengers paying the highest fares in Europe to travel on overcrowded, unreliable services.

New research from RMT shows that: