The following resolution, submitted by LU Engineering branch and seconded by Hammersmith & City branch, was carried unanimously by the March meeting of the Regional Council ...

This Region opposes the requirement that staff take annual leave if they were unable to get to work during "adverse" weather conditions

The recent guidelines from Howard Collins are unfair in some respects to all staff.

Travelling to your nearest depot or Underground station could be seen as reasonable for operational and maintenance employees who live in London, but not for those using Main Line Services or driving if roads and mainline are badly affected.

There were very hazardous conditions on ungritted pavements and residential roads and no account was taken of health and safety risks.

Meaningful work cannot be undertaken by ops/maintenance staff at home, or by office based or engineering staff at an Underground station or depot.

Giving up annual leave after being stuck on a train for hours is unreasonable.

Suggesting that staff take unpaid leave arguably amounts to unlawful deduction of wages.

Using the parental leave allocation is totally unacceptable. It is unpaid, it is not intended to apply to a national situation, and it only applies to pre-schoolchildren in the majority of cases.

LU's current policy tries to use every means to avoid having a proper plan for severe weather conditions. Calling the conditions adverse is the first cop-out.

We ask that RMT demands a proper plan for severe weather be negotiated so that the employer can no longer make the staff pay for management lack of foresight