Pay

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

This Region is appalled by London Underground's below-inflation, five-year pay 'offer', with no commitment to improving conditions. Our union must reject this insult, and fight as effectively as possible for a much better, preferably one-year offer.

London Underground today told the unions its pay offer. It is a five-year offer, of a 4% pay rise this year and a rise of RPI+0.25% in the four following years.

London Underground pay settlements are based on the February RPI figure. In February, RPI was 5.5%.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow has described the offer as "disappointing", and confirmed that the union's executive will be discussing it soon. I represent you on RMT's executive, so please let me know your views by emailing j.booth@rmt.org.uk.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note that Serco Docklands has clarified that: “Employees on trade union contracts will be paid double time if they work on a bank holiday, this applies to both hours and overtime. The bank holiday payments are applied from 12 midnight at the start of the day to midnight at the end of the day. If an employee is rostered to work on a bank holiday or if it is their rostered rest day they will accrue a lieu day. They may choose to have this paid instead.”

We seek the views of our Docklands Light Railway branch on this matter.

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has begun balloting the underground’s crucial Power Control Room staff for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pay grade progression.

In a recent referendum ballot on London Underground’s latest proposals to the staff they were rejected by a vote of 100% and the union is campaigning for a similar rock-solid mandate for industrial action.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow has spoken about the latest rise in inflation and how this will affect pay claims for this year.

Crow said “Ahead of tomorrow’s Budget it is crystal clear that the Chancellor and the ConDem Government have a strategy of holding down pay increases while real living costs go through the roof – bullying working people into accepting savage cuts to their standards of living to pay for this banker crisis. RMT will not tolerate that kind of assault on our members.

General Grades Committee decision:

That following our members’ rejection of London Underground’s offer on grade progression, and following consultation with our representative and with Unite, we instruct the General Secretary to ballot our members in the Power Control Room for strike action and action short of strike. The ballot is to start as soon as possible and to close on Tuesday 5 April.

The Southern Sub-Committee will submit a further report regarding Track Access Control after further consultation.

There is to be an extra public holiday this year due to the Royal Wedding. RMT has written to all Train Operating Companies asking their intentions for payment and leave arrangements for our members. Replies have been received from London Underground and Serco Docklands, but neither reply explicitly sets out the pay and leave plans.

RMT's General Grades Committee has referred the issues to its Southern Sub-Committee to get more details so we can respond.

RMT's General Grades Committee decision:

We welcome the resolution from our London Transport Regional Council on this matter, and reaffirm our determination to preserve the right of TfL and London Underground employees to both a staff pass and a nominee pass. We also reaffirm that the fact that an employee may nominate a person who lives at the same address as them for a nominee pass, regardless of their personal relationship with them, is progressive and egalitarian, and we will defend it.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download RMT's pay claim submitted to London Underground. The first section, the text of which is below, is also being submitted by TSSA and Unite. We hope that this united approach from three of LU's unions will improve our prospects of securing an acceptable offer.

1. A substantial pay award in a one-year deal

RMT General Grades Committee decision, 10 February:

That we note the referendum result for Power Control Room is as follows:-

Total votes cast: 4
Number voting “Yes”: 0
Number voting “No”: 4
Spoilt Papers: 0

That we note the referendum result for TAC is as follows:-

Total votes cast: 3
Number voting “Yes”: 1
Number voting “No”: 2
Spoilt Papers: 0