Transport for London

From Steve Hedley, Regional Organiser

Dear brothers sisters and comrades

We are facing several attacks from the employers right now and we have had requests for strike ballots on no compulsory redundancies, pay, breaking of agreements and failure to carry out meaningful consultation. Having discussed the issues the Council of Executives has agreed that a ballot will be conducted on LUL and coordinated with a ballot on TfL.The issues for the LUL ballot are:

Advice for RMT Members regarding the Operational Cost Review (OCR)
Read the text below, and download the advice as an A4 sheet

The RMT is deeply concerned at LUL's announcement that they are getting rid of 970 so called “back room staff” as part of an operational cost review. It is a disgrace that at a time when billions of pounds are being found to subsidise the banks, London's Railway Infrastructure and Services are being cut back.

The figures for the most recent completed financial year (2007/08) revealed that ...

• Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy was paid more than £540,000: a salary of £334,720 plus a bonus of £115,200 and other benefits.
• Tim O'Toole, Managing Director of London Underground, received £283,254 and a bonus of £73,115.
• David Brown, Managing Director of Surface Transport, was paid £261,500 plus a bonus of £42,625.

A two day Bus Reps course took place in central London on thursday 26th and friday 27th february 2009. It was well attended by very enthusiastic and motivated volunteers. The course will help them to assist fellow members at their workplaces. If you are an RMT London Busworker and are interested in going on a course, please contact your branch secretary. If you are not sure about who to contact, you can find the information on the RMT website or call the RMT freephone helpline 0800 376 3706.

This resolution, proposed by TfL no.1 branch, was passed unanimously by the February Regional Council meeting.

This branch believes that TfL/LUL are jumping on the bandwagon of the recession, using it as an excuse to cut jobs. If we let the company get away with cutting admin/non operational grades, it will set a precedent, and have a double negative effect. A) it will make everyone’s life harder as all admin jobs are vital to the safe operating of the railway and the care of the employees themselves and B) it will make it easier for them to slash operational jobs.

TfL Commissioner Peter Hendy's circular to all TfL staff on 2 December 2008 spelt out the company's cost-cutting agenda and plans to slash jobs ...

"Our 10-year Business Plan sets out our plans for multi-billion pound transport investment. This year, the Operating Cost Review team has been working with the business to identify opportunities to make the £2.4 billion savings we need to deliver our commitments within the available funding levels.

A recent article by Andrew Gilligan in the Evening Standard reveals some interesting facts about how much TfL/LUL bosses spend on themselves.

In recent meetings with London Underground over the proposed 1,000 job cuts, it has become apparent that management is not carrying out meaningful consultation.

London Underground is trying to force through job cuts, which amount to the first stage in plans by TfL to cut its budget by £2.5 billion. TfL inherited a debt worth over £2 billion from failed privateer Metronet. Instead of cutting our senior managers’ inflated salaries, getting rid of parasitical private contractors and opening the books to public scrutiny, TfL/LUL are attempting to do away with thousands of jobs.