LUL Trains

The RMT Train Grades Committee has produced a new "Up Front" the newsletter for London Underground drivers. This edition has been amended to take account of RMT General Grades Committee decision. Click on the attachment to download it. Main stories follow:

Drivers vote to stop victimisations on the tube

What a result! Train drivers and Instructor operators on LU were asked “are you prepared to take strike action over the victimisation of Eamonn Lynch and Arwyn Thomas?” 64% of drivers responded with a resounding yes vote on a turnout of nearly 50%
This is a major achievement for the union and shows that drivers across the whole of the combine and in every depot are determined to stop the victimisation of our fellow drivers. Never before has the union escalated an individual case across the whole of the tube network.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the latest issue of 'RMT Platform', which leads with this article:

Station and revenue staff should support RMT's campaign to win the reinstatement of sacked driver reps Eamonn Lynch and Arwyn Thomas.

London Underground sacked Eamonn for following instructions from line control when he had a defective trip cock! Other drivers in similar situations, even those more at fault, have not been sacked. LU sacked Arwyn following allegations from a strike-breaker during last year's strikes against stations job cuts.

RMT GGC decision:

That we note the result of our ballot for strike action is as follows:-

Number of ballot papers issued ....1298.................
Total votes cast ....595 (45.8% turnout).......
Number voting “Yes” .....379 (63.9%)....
Number voting “No” .....216...............
Spoilt Papers ....0.........

RMT GGC decision:

Following the ballot result for action short of strikes in pursuit of this dispute, and following consultation with our reps and branch, we instruct our members involved in this dispute, from 00:01 on Thursday 5 May:-

1. NOT to recognise the imposed sensitive edge door procedure and to work the previous safer instruction. i.e. go back to the carriage concerned and physically check the cause of activation.

RMT GGC decision:

That we note the resolution from our Bakerloo branch and support its sentiments. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to immediately write to all TUC-affiliated trade unions, asking whether they plan to hold any industrial action in London or the surrounding areas during May or June, and inviting them to discuss with us the possibilities of co-ordinating that industrial action with any strike action we call in pursuance of this dispute.

The following resolution to the April meeting of the Regional Council was passed unanimously.

HARDSHIP PAYMENTS

“This Regional Council notes and congratulates the GGC's ballot of all train drivers on London Underground over the victimisations of Bro's Thomas and Lynch. Given the amount of strike action taken by our members in the last 8 months we agree that if any strike action is called by the national union then the Council of Executives should make hardship payments to our members concerned.”

The Following resolution to the April meeting of the Regional Council was passed unanimously.

Co-ordinated Strike Action

“This Regional Council requests that the General Secretary writes to other trade unions who are in dispute with a view to coordinating strike action across union's and sectors with our dispute on London Underground over the victimisations of Bro's Thomas and Lynch.”

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the result of the ballot for ‘action short of strikes’ is as follows:-

Total votes cast: 45
Number voting “Yes”: 33
Number voting “No”: 12
Spoilt Papers: 0

We congratulate our members on their 73.3% majority vote to take action to defend their safety at work. We note that Finsbury Park branch will discuss this at its branch meeting tomorrow. Once the branch has given its recommendations for action, this matter to be placed back of us.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our Hammersmith & City branch and the report from our Regional Organiser about London Underground’s plan to cut 8 duties from Hammersmith depot, with the loss of 3 substantive posts and a significant increase in anti-social working hours for drivers at Hammersmith.

From General Secretary Bob Crow

As previously advised we are balloting all Train Operators and Instructor Operators for strike action over LUL’s continuing victimisation of our representatives and activists. You should by now have received your ballot papers for strike action at your home addresses. If not you should urgently contact the RMT helpline on 0800 376 3706. I urge you to vote in favour of strike action to send a clear message to LUL that we will not tolerate the victimisation of our reps and activists such as Eamonn Lynch and Arwyn Thomas. The ballot is due to close on Wednesday 27th April 2011.