RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We reject the latest offer from London Underground on the following grounds:

• The revised offer of 5% for this year is still below the February RPI figure of 5.5% and is thus a real-terms pay cut. It is important that pay rises keep pace with, or preferably exceed, price rises, and that the same month's RPI figure is used each year in order to track price rises year-on-year.
• The offer does not include a minimum 'underpin' percentage (eg. 'minimum 3%') for subsequent years. Neither does it include a flat-rate minimum figure for the pay rise for this year or subsequent years, which would benefit lower-paid grades. This is union policy, and we will press this issue in further talks.
• The offer does not seriously address our claims for improved working conditions, such as reduced hours or equal travel facilities.
• At five years, the offer covers too long a period of time. Although LU would like members to believe that this gives them ‘security’, in truth it would tie us to a pay formula regardless of changing economic and political circumstances and would hamper this union’s ability to campaign for improved pay and conditions year-on-year, and we expect that management would use the time to further attack jobs and conditions.

Our refusal to accept previous, lower offers has led to slight improvements in LU's offer. We will continue to seek improvements.

We instruct the General Secretary to:

• inform the company of our rejection of its offer
• send a letter to all LU members advising them of our stance
• circulate information to members about the rising costs of living, and about the high salaries and bonuses enjoyed by LUL/TfL top brass
• ensure that future revised offers from LU are placed before the GGC at the earliest possible opportunity, as it is important that members see a prompt response from their union
• seek an urgent meeting with the other trade unions to co-ordinate our approach.

We further note that the Regional Council is to hold a members’ meeting in September to discuss pay and the Olympics. We instruct the General Secretary to offer the Regional Council full support in organising and publicising this meeting, including through letters, emails and text messages to members.