Strike action ballots return strong yes votes from ISS cleaners, drivers on the Piccadilly and sub surface depots, and maintenance workers on TfL contract with Mitie

RMT today confirmed a ballot for strike action of Train Operators and Instructor Operators on the Piccadilly Line, in response to London Underground riding roughshod over agreements and abusing a range of agreed policies and procedures, has shown a massive nine to one vote in favour.

Meanwhile, driver members at a range of depots serving the Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan and Circle Lines have voted for industrial action by massive majorities in disputes arising from the introduction of the new S Stock fleet around the following issues;

• Inadequate time allowance for the drivers’ train preparation
• Cross Line working
• Removal of Train maintenance depot and the impact of this on train movement.
• Length of time between drivers being trained and actually driving new trains
• The absence of Defective in Service Instructions (DISIS) for the S Stock.

Tube cleaners working for Danish multi-national ISS on London Underground Tube Lines contract have voted by 100% for strike action in a dispute over pay and workplace justice over issues which include failure to pay the London Living Wage from day one, abuse of sickness and attendance procedures and the extending of unpaid breaks.

Finally, electricians and engineers working for contractors Mitie on the TFL contract have voted by around nine to one for action in a dispute over redundancies and unilateral changes to working conditions.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“Drivers across a whole swathe of the underground network have voted by massive majorities for industrial action in separate disputes which represent unilateral attacks by the company on working conditions, agreements and procedures. Talks are on-going but no one can doubt the strength of feeling and the determination of our members to protect their hard-won workplace rights, agreements and conditions.

“Meanwhile, ISS staff doing some of the dirtiest jobs for some of the lowest wages in the London transport sector, have recorded a unanimous strike vote which makes a nonsense of Boris Johnson’s rhetoric about strike thresholds and sends a message that he should be sorting the scandal of low pay on his watch instead of attacking workers’ rights.

“And in the last of these four important disputes, the Mitie engineers and electricians have voted by around nine to one to strike over redundancies and the threat to working conditions,

“The outcome of these separate ballots will now be considered by RMT’s executive but the message could not be clearer – RMT is stepping up the fight to protect agreements, jobs and working conditions across the whole of London and to eliminate the scourge of poverty pay on cleaning contracts.”