Tube fleet maintenance to take action in dispute over wholesale breakdown in industrial relations
TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that London Underground Fleet members will be taking industrial action from next Tuesday following numerous unresolved breaches of agreed machineries and agreements by LU management. In a recent ballot 67% of members voted for strike action with 88% voting to endorse action short of a strike.
 
RMT’s executive has now considered the current position and has instructed all Fleet Grades members to undertake the following industrial action from 00:01 hours on Tuesday 7th March 2017 until further notice:-

• Not to work any overtime or attend training courses outside of normal working hours
• Not to carry out any higher grade duty work
• Not to change any shifts or work locations to assist with maintenance
• No trainers are to carry out training for anyone on a job that is not their substantive role
• No coaches to coach anyone on a job that is not their substantive role
• Not to work if there is not a valid and in date WRA, COSHH, and Manual Handling Assessment
• Not to work if there is no first aider on site

 
The current breakdown in industrial relations covers a range of management failures including:-

• Not consulting or negotiating with this Union over reduced staffing levels within the Fleet operations
•  Breaching our agreement on Night Tube and failing to recruit adequate additional staff to cover this work
•  Actively attacking RMT Reps for carrying out their trade union duties
•  Not following the correct process when seeking to change rosters
• Removing a long and established practice of ‘phone in days’ throughout Fleet without agreement

 
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that this list of grievances was not exhaustive.
 
“The current level of flagrant abuse and ignorance of long-standing policies and procedures by London Underground is appalling and the anger among RMT Fleet grades members was clearly demonstrated in the ballot results. The continued failures by the management side have left us with no option but to begin a campaign of industrial action.
 
“RMT’s position could not be clearer and it is down to London Underground to start taking this list of grievances seriously, to stop trying to impose fundamental changes to agreed policies and working conditions and to halt the bullying and harassment of our reps. RMT remains available for serious talks.”