Attendance and discipline

We note the report from our lead officer and branch secretary. We note that the individual cases are now concluded.

We reaffirm our insistence that all duties associated with protection should be carried out by directly-employed staff, and are alarmed at the apparent backtracking by the company on this matter.

We instruct the General Secretary to ensure that this is pursued through the machinery of negotiation, and also to table this for discussion at the next meeting of the London Underground Briefing Forum.

We note the document from London Underground Ltd, clarifying that managers can and should exercise discretion in the management of attendance. We welcome this clarification, which follows concerted pressure from this union to demand that managers should stop routinely giving the maximum penalty to members.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to circulate this document in full to all our London Underground branches and representatives, with a covering letter explaining its background and how to use it to the benefit of members.

Transport union RMT has today secured a major victory in the Employment Tribunal over the victimisation and sacking of Zack Dahou, a key activist on the Serco Barclay’s “Boris Bikes” scheme.

In a 37 page judgment the tribunal found in RMT’s favour on both of the counts brought by the union, that Zack had been unfairly dismissed and that that dismissal was linked to his trade union activities. There will now be a formal remedies hearing.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

We note with concern the company’s use of this means of testing for drugs and alcohol and the potential ramifications for our members of any such process to which we are opposed.

The General Secretary is instructed to seek a legal opinion of the company’s use of bodily hair samples for drug and alcohol testing. The opinion to be placed back before this General Grades Committee for further consideration.

We note that Initial has issued Sister Osagiede with a written warning and that she is appealing this decision.

We further note that Initial is, separately from the disciplinary sanction, attempting to relocate Sister Osagiede to Aldgate station. This is unacceptable to Sister Osagiede and to RMT, as:

• Clara is contracted to Hainault depot
• There is now no impediment to Clara returning to Hainault depot as management's investigation is completed
• Clara has had her disciplinary and received a written warning, not any decision to change her work location
  

Tube union RMT confirmed today that train crew members on the Victoria Line are to be balloted for strike action over a range of grievances that amount to a total breakdown in industrial relations:

• Forcing Drivers to work overtime. Drivers being made to start a duty which would result in them working beyond their finishing time.
• Failing to hold meetings requested by members such as flexible working requests, grievance hearings, and disciplinary appeal hearings.
• Trying to conduct meetings without the full level 1 rep in attendance.
  

A meeting took place on August 1st, between RMT Officials, RMT Central Line Representatives and senior LU management in an attempt to avert a ballot of all Central Line drivers due a breakdown in industrial relations on the line.

Relations between management and your industrial and safety representatives have worsened over the past 18 months or so until it has got to the stage where your union firmly believe that the Central Line management is out of control.

Senior Central Line managers seem to believe that LU policies and procedures, the Health and Safety at

We note the resolution from our Central Line East branch, which we understand is also supported by our trains representatives in Central Line West branch. We share our branches’ alarm at the deterioration of industrial relations on the Line, including abuses of procedures, safety concerns, and an authoritarian disciplinary regime.

In line with our branches’ request, we instruct the General Secretary to contact London Underground Ltd as a matter of urgency demanding a line meeting, to include all our Central line trains representatives (health & safety and industrial relations).

Strike action ballots return strong yes votes from ISS cleaners, drivers on the Piccadilly and sub surface depots, and maintenance workers on TfL contract with Mitie

RMT today confirmed a ballot for strike action of Train Operators and Instructor Operators on the Piccadilly Line, in response to London Underground riding roughshod over agreements and abusing a range of agreed policies and procedures, has shown a massive nine to one vote in favour.

We note the report from our lead officer, and welcome the progress made at ACAS talks.

Accordingly, we instruct the General Secretary to suspend our strike action beginning at 00:01 on Tuesday 2 April.

A report is to be placed in front of us as to whether the dispute is fully resolved within time to allow strike action to be called should it not be resolved.