Please find attached the latest Branch newsletter.
"Last month tube management succeeded in de-railing our democratic right to strike for better pay, against bullying and against compulsory redundancies.
Running off to the courts and threatening the union with legal action rather than negotiating with us shows their contempt for the workforce."
This has now been postponed until next month.
RMT Regional Membership Secretary Dave Rayfield explains the hows and whys of recruiting and retaining members, and keeping your membership information up-to-date. This workshop is a must for all RMT reps. Activists and members are welcome too.
Venue: Exmouth Arms, Starcross Street, near Euston
This workshop is also running the following day in east London. Details here.
While Victoria line drivers are being sacked for safety breaches which would not even have occurred had the company fitted correct-side door enable equipment to its trains, it seems that managers can make safety-critical mistakes with impunity. An example of this took place on 7th May at Blackhorse Road station. At about 1700, both escalators failed. The Supervisor tried everything to get at least one of them restarted but without success.
RMT members working for LUL recently returned a massive YES vote for industrial action to oppose the company's insulting pay offer, it's job cut proposals, and it's complete disregard of agreements such as the Attendance at Work Policy. With a good turnout, over 83% of members voted for strike action and 94% for action short of a strike. The message sent out by this result could hardly be clearer: We will not stand by while you cut staff, attack our living standards and bully us into working when we're sick.
Like school yard bullies who have been given a bloody nose, managers at Seven Sisters who have for so long pushed our members around and made their lives hell, are now licking their wounds. Rather than waking up and treating you with the respect you deserve, they have been busy spreading rumours and trying to break your resolve; see Frequently Asked Questions below for a full response on some of the nonsense they have been coming out with.
Click on the attachment to read or download the May 2009 edition of Monthly News.
ABOUT WAGE CONCERN
On Friday 15th May, the Employment Opportunities Bill will be debated in Parliament. The Bill has been put forward by Conservative backbenchers and it would enable employers to ‘opt-out’ of the Minimum Wage brought in by the Labour government ten years ago.
If passed, the system would be wide open to abuse by unscrupulous employers. For instance an employment agency could write a Minimum Wage Opt-Out into any contract potential staff would have to sign.
Unbelievably, they tried to claim it was against people’s ‘Human Right to work’ to have a Minimum Wage.
Click '1 attachment' / file name to download this leaflet. Read the text below.
BALLOT PAPERS GO OUT THURSDAY 14TH MAY
Voting closing on Thursday 28th May
After having a massive democratic YES vote for strike action discounted by management; RMT is to re-ballot nearly 10,000 members across London Underground and Transport for London for strike action around disputes centred on jobs, pay and breaches of disciplinary and attendance agreements.
This is London Underground's policy on facilities for union reps. If you are not getting all that you are entitled to, raise it with your employing manager, and also advise your branch secretary.
The TfL No.1 Branch Meeting will take place at the Old Star Public House (Upstairs), 66 Broadway, London SW1 commencing at 17.30 hrs.