RMT official circulars

From General Secretary Bob Crow

The following changes to Employment Tribunal procedure came into effect on the 6th April 2012.

• From 1st April increases in Statutory Maternity,Paternity,Additional Paternity, Adoption Pay and Maternity Allowance from £128.73 to £135.45 per week.
• Increase in the qualifying period required to bring a claim for Unfair Dismissal or Request a written statement of reasons from 1 to 2 years.

From General Secretary Bob Crow

I write to advise you that the Government yet again are proposing changes to the CICS that if implemented will affect the compensation that our members currently receive when attacked at work or when they experience a suicide on the railways. It is currently proposed to abolish the lower tariff bands of the Compensation Criminal Injury Scheme (CICS), this move will remove from eligibility the majority of our members injured as a result of criminal violence during the course of their work.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

Further to my previous circular NP 013/12 dated 24th January 2012, please find enclosed links to the bulletins issued by the TUC for Workers’ Memorial Day. The bulletins are designed to help you mobilise and organise around various issues affecting the Health & Safety of our members. The next three in the series are entitled; Compensation under Threat, Occupational Disease a time bomb the Government ignores and Union Health & Safety Representatives.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

I am writing to advise you of a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court which will effect many of the 2,500 people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

The Supreme Court upheld an appeal brought by Unite the Union and rejected arguments by insurance companies which would have denied compensation to victims of the terminal disease mesothelioma.

Judges in the country’s highest court agreed that the insurers of an employer at the time of the exposure to asbestos should pay compensation.

Here is the latest circular official from General Secretary Bob Crow (LUL/22/2)

As you may be aware, we have been in negotiations with London Underground over Olympic Recognition and Reward. The company’s offer has been considered by your General Grades Committee and has been rejected as it compares less favourably with deals achieved such as London Overground and Network Rail. Please find attached a copy of the offer.

from General Secretary Bob Crow - TFL (RT/14/2)

Further to my circular dated 14th December (IR/608/11) I write to update branches on the TfL scheme to introduce Identifier tags from March 2012 for all Taxi driver members (Taxis and Private hire).This would distinguish between those drivers licensed for hire in all of Metropolitan London (green badge) and those who were licensed for particular sectors outside the centre (yellow badge). Yellow badge drivers might be typically licensed for the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Greenwich, Merton, Harrow, Hillingdon and so on.

From General Secretary Bob Crow

I write to advise you that the ballot for industrial action short of a strike has now closed and the result is as follows: -

Are you prepared to take industrial action short of a strike?

• Total Votes Cast - 463
• Number Voting Yes - 369
• Number Voting No - 93
• Spoilt - 1

This result is being considered by the General Grades Committee and I shall be in touch with you again shortly.

From General Secretary Bob Crow

I write to advise members that we have decided to re-run the current referendum of members on this year’s pay award. This decision has been taken because a letter from management advising us of a slight amendment to the Years 2 to 4 offer was not reflected in the paperwork sent to members with the voting papers. The change is significant enough to warrant the referendum being re-run as members are not voting with the full proposal at their disposal.