What Pay Rises Are Other Workers Getting?

Submitted by Janine on 10 August, 2009 - 10:50

Our employers would have us believe that all other workers are having their pay cut or frozen, and so LUL and TfL's1.5% offer is generous by comparison. But have a look at these ...

  • Novartis Animal Health: 4.5% (effective 1 March 2009)
  • Grand Central: 4.08% (effective 1 April 2009)
  • Wyeth Pharmaceuticals: 4% (effective 1 January 2009)
  • Standard Life: 3.9% (effective 1 April 2009)
  • Scottish Water: 3.75% (effective 1 July 2009)
  • Department of Work and Pensions: average 3.6% (effective 1 July 2009)

Latest Inflation Figures Underline RMT's Case for a Better Pay Rise

Submitted by Admin on 10 August, 2009 - 10:42

As of July 2009, annual price inflation rates of particular products:

  • food: 5.6%
  • fuel and light: 9.6%
  • gas: 24%
  • coal and solid fuels: 21.9%

[government inflation figures]

In the year to June 2009, the prices of many essentials rose at a far higher rate than RPI inflation:

  • Coal & solid fuels up 21.9%
  • Fuel and light up 9.6%
  • Gas up 24.0%
  • Electricity up 6.8%
  • Water and other charges up 4.7%
  • Fares and other travel costs 5.5%
  • Bus and coach fares 7.3%
  • Other travel costs 4.8%
  • Food up 5.3%, with
    • tea up 10.3%

Training Workshop: Agreements

LUL Stations & Revenue Council reps Mick Crossey and Janine Booth will run a training workshop on Agreements - why they are important, and understanding what they say.

As we fight to defend our agreements from employers intent on ripping them up, it is essential that our reps and activists understand their importance. And in reps’ day-to-day work for members, you need to know how to work out what rights they give to your members.

Venue: Exmouth Arms, Starcross Street, near Euston

Minutes of Regional Council meeting, 30 July 2009

Submitted by Admin on 7 August, 2009 - 17:01

ATTENDANCE

  • Bakerloo branch -
  • Camden no.3 branch - Pat O'Brien, Clara Osagiede, Mick Crossey, John Reid, Garry Houghton, Joanne Prestwick, Chris Gryce, Paul Kennedy, Tony Gandolfi
  • Central Line West branch - Vaughan Thomas (meeting chair), Vik Parmar
  • DLR branch -
  • East Ham branch - Andy Izard, Gary Lazell, Clare Reilly, Chris Baillie

Support the Vestas Workers!

Submitted by Admin on 7 August, 2009 - 13:55

From Becky Crocker, Regional Young Members' officer

Dear London Transport region

On Monday 3rd August, I visited the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight, which its workers have occupied to stop its closure and save their 600 jobs.

Vestas is the only factory in Britain making blades for wind turbines.

Wind power is part of the government’s strategy for switching to 15% renewable energy by 2020. But the private company Vestas have calculated they can make more money by moving their factory elsewhere: profit comes first and jobs and the environment second.

RMT accuses Vestas of knocking back turbine factory rescue deal

Submitted by Admin on 7 August, 2009 - 11:21

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today accused the owners of the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight of “kicking the legs” from under a rescue package that could have saved it from closure.

RMT officials Bob Crow and John Leach, along with representatives of the Vestas workforce, met with energy minister Joan Ruddock yesterday to discuss the future of the factory.

During the meeting it emerged that the government had offered a series of rescue options to the company but each one had been rejected.

New Threat to Stations Jobs

Submitted by Admin on 7 August, 2009 - 10:57

The attachment on this article details the management's attempt to drive custom away from ticket office windows and therefore do away with ticket office jobs. Euston, Paddington, Brixton, Victoria and Kings Cross are the latest stations which are trialling the five pounds minimum top up of oyster cards.

Statement on National Express East Anglia Action Today

Submitted by Admin on 6 August, 2009 - 16:00

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said

"Our members have shown again that they are solid,angry and determined to secure a fair deal on pay and conditions from a company that is obsessed with maximising profits at the expense of staff and the traveling public.

National express have provoked this action and have alienated their entire workforce across all three unions. Those workers have shown that they are not prepared to take a hit to prop up the profits of a company whose management have shown that they are not fit to run rail services."

SAVE VESTAS: Get a place on the solidarity bus - Friday evening

Submitted by Admin on 5 August, 2009 - 18:16

BUS TO VESTAS: FRIDAY EVENING: STOP THE EVICTION

From Workers' Climate Action

Everyone down at Vestas is still standing strong in the face of the possession order. A bus of about 20 Londoners went down on Tuesday evening, but everyone is getting pretty tired and another boost is needed!

A minibus (or two!) will be leaving London on Friday evening from Clapham at 6pm heading for Vestas. The bus will return on Sunday. It will cost between £10-£15 a head (or a bit more if you can afford to subsidise others) and will deliver a boost in numbers and energy to the fight to save jobs and save the planet!

Tribute to Brother Andy Melvin R.I.P.

Submitted by Admin on 5 August, 2009 - 14:25

Andy MelvinOn Thursday 23rd July Brother Andy Melvin passed away from bronchopneumonia in Whipps Cross Hospital.

Andy was a fantastic guy, ready to help everyone and anyone. He was a long serving member of the RMT and an activist from day one.

Andy started out on the buses before joining TfL and becoming a Supervisor in the Liverpool Street Travel Information Centre.