TERMS AND CONDITIONS, STATION STAFF - LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/2)

The following resolution was submitted for consideration to your National Executive Committee by both our Neasden Branch and the London Transport Regional Council:

“Neasden Branch notes the resolution passed by the LTRC calling for a combine-wide ballot of station grades over London Underground's failure to properly address the issue of workplace violence.

The branch also notes the call from RCI members for a ballot of revenue grades in response to London Underground's plan to replace RCIs with a lower paid new grade, RCO.

London Underground has provocatively presented this plan as a 'response' to the issue of workplace violence. The response offers nothing to station grades suffering from threats and violence at work, often when lone working. It is just a thinly veiled attempt to cut the pay of the RCI role. The RCO proposal is an insult to station grades as well as current RCIs.

The branch further notes that the Trains Functional Council is discussing trade union demands to improve Boxing Day payments to train operators. The branch supports this demand but is a huge injustice that station staff are expected to work on Boxing Day with no additional compensation at all.

RMT must fight for fair treatment of all members. We reject the two-tier workforce which has RCOs doing the work of RCIs or CSA2d doing the work of CSA1s on lower salaries.

The branch believes these injustices must be met head on by RMT. We ask the NEC to consult with other branches in the LTRC regional with a  view to balloting all station grades members for strike action and action short of strike action to further the following demands:

     Give us a safe workplace

• End lone working
• Fill all vacant RCI vacancies
• Audit all stations to ensure there are safe levels of staffing, places of safety that are fit for purpose, rosters that do not create unacceptable levels of fatigue

     No 2nd class workforce

• No introduction of RCO on £20 less than current RCIs
• All CSAs to be made CSA1
• Pay station grades the same additional payments for working Boxing Day as those paid to train operators”

Your NEC has noted the resolution and that consultation has now taken place with branches in the LTRC who are fully supportive of a move to ballot for industrial action if the company does not address our concerns. The NEC has stated that it will not tolerate our members being assaulted at work or being left out to dry by the company or the company's attempt to opportunistically use the abandonment of our members to then bring in new un-negotiated grade of RCO. This would effectively close off one of the last lines of promotion for station grades and lead to CSA2s undertaking the work of CSA1s, both of which would lead to staff being paid inferior salaries.

The NEC has therefore instructed me to arrange a meeting of all stations industrial reps, Functional Council, Lead Officer, Senior Assistant General Secretary and the NEC to discuss the way forward on this matter. I am currently making the necessary arrangements for this meeting and will advise you of the details of the discussion in due course.