Jobs/Pay/Justice Dispute

Starting in March 2009, RMT's industrial action campaign for decent pay, against job cuts, and to stop management persecuting staff and breaking their own policies

Latest Inflation Figures Expose Pay Offer as Pay Cut

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (attached) prove once again that LUL/TfL's pay offers lag well behind rising prices - in other words will cut your pay in real terms.

In the year to May, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.2%. The Retail Price index - acknowledged as seriously underestimating real inflation - stood at -1.1%. RPIX (RPI, excluding mortgage interest payments) was +1.6%.

Here are some price rises for particular areas of your spending:

Update: Dispute Talks

RMT representatives again attended talks aimed at resolving our 'jobs, pay and justice' dispute at ACAS on Wednesday 24 June.

Most of the day's discussion centred around management's difficulty with accepting that the settlement of the 2001 dispute (the so-called 'Jobs for Life' deal) means what it actually says! The agreement clearly states that:

  • "no compulsory redundancies will take place"; and that
  • "This agreement applies to all staff employed by LUL, the Infracos and their subsidiaries. "

Update: Dispute Talks

Olly Brian and Paul at ACASOn Friday, RMT representatives Olly New, Brian Whitehead, Paul Jackson (pictured), Bob Crow and Janine Booth attended ACAS to discuss the LUL dispute.

The idea was to exchange paperwork for further talks. The RMT brought the 2001 dispute settlement ('jobs for life' deal) and associated documents that prove beyond doubt that it applies to all employees of London Underground, the Infracos and subsidiaries.

LUL brought nothing.

'RMT Platform' 22 June 2009: Station Staff Strike Back

RMT PlatformThe new issue of 'RMT Platform' reports on station staff's solid participation in RMT's strike for jobs, pay and justice. It also gives information on our campaign for snow day pay, London Underground's backdoor job cuts, the new Ticket Office Procedures Handbook, and the 'Textback' trial flop. Plus there is advice on station and revenue staff's rights.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download it.

Former Metronet Cuts

Key media commentators are now accepting RMT’s calculation that the total financial black hole facing TfL/LUL is pushing £5 billion with 3000 jobs at risk. This week we exposed £60 million of maintenance cuts on former Metronet lines. We achieved widespread coverage for our case that these cuts are the tip of the iceberg with far worse to come if we don’t stand up and fight.

It’s this financial crisis which is driving the industrial relations strategy at TfL and LUL and which goes right to the heart of the current disputes with the employers.

LUL/TfL: Paying Out to Aggrieved Employees

The shocking figures below show Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground Ltd (LUL)'s total spend fighting employee Employment Tribunal claims from August 2004 to the end of 2008 (not including cost of staff and management time and TfL/LUL operational resources).

These illustrate two things:

  • Firstly, the extent of employee grievances against their employers, vindicating RMT's allegations of systematic mistreatment of staff, on of the three issues in our current dispute with LUL.

Strike Impact

The truth of the success of the 48 hour strike last week is starting to get through. Tonight’s Standard, the paper at the forefront of hostility to RMT, reports that:

“There was widespread disruption across the capital. Although London Underground was able to operate some trains, on most lines this was often limited to shuttle services.”

RoadTransport.com reported that: