RMT press release, issued today

TALKS ON London Underground’s plan to axe 1,000 jobs failed to clear the first hurdle today after the company refused to agree consultation arrangements.

The company effectively walked away from the table after refusing to discuss the procedure for the consultation, trying instead to steamroller through its own terms of reference – even down to the number of reps from each union.

The company even refused to discuss how the health and safety impact of the job cuts would be reviewed, insisting that consultation on the job cuts could begin without an arrangement in place

RMT reps told the company that they were available to continue talks, but could not begin to talk about the threat to jobs until there was agreement on how the process would work.

“Our reps went to today’s meeting willing to talk, but LUL tried to present them with a sham dressed up as a consultation,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“The reality is that the company is trying to flout existing agreements and health and safety procedures, and refused to acknowledge that former Metronet staff are covered by an agreement that guarantees no compulsory redundancies.

“Our former Metronet reps will be meeting later this week, and I do not doubt that they will furious that LUL appears bent on tearing up agreements.

“We already know that the 1,000 job cuts being proposed are likely to be the tip of the iceberg and our reps have every right to be concerned about the impact on services and safety.

“When billions have been thrown at the bankers who caused our economic crisis and Metronet bosses responsible for colossal waste of public money walked away with massive payouts that it is shameful that loyal Tube staff should be expected to pay with their jobs

“We have already made it quite clear that any attempt to impose compulsory redundancies among our members or to undermine their terms and conditions will be met with a ballot for industrial action,” Bob Crow said.