RMT Executive decisions

We note the correspondence from the Lead Officer and senior reps from TfL No 1 branch informing us that TSSA and Unite have called strike action on this matter on Friday 9th May.

While this union, in the interest of solidarity and unity agrees to call our members out on strike on the same date, we are appalled that these unions did not coincide their action with those of our members on London Underground.

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

DISMISSAL, PETRIT MIHAJ – SODEXO (LUL/4/4)

I write to advise branches that our representative Brother Petrit Mihaj has been dismissed by the Sodexo. The General Grades Committee believes this sacking by Sodexo is due to victimisation for his trade union activities. I have advised the company that we are in dispute over this issue, and that we intend to ballot members concerned for industrial action in order to achieve justice for Brother Mihaj.

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

rates of pay & Conditions of service 2014 – Balfour Beatty (Ruislip) (LUL/0001/BBR)

Branches are advised that following talks with the company for Improved Rates of Pay and Conditions for 2014, the company offered an increase of 2.6% which is unacceptable to our representatives.

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

Further to my circular (IR/37/14) dated 23rd January 2014,branches will recall that our Service Control members on the Waterloo and City Line are taking industrial action short of strike action over the union’s legitimate and reasonable demand for re-grading. I can advise branches that this action is holding firm and that on one occasion the Waterloo & City Line had to close due to lack of cover.

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

I write to update you on the situation within LUL following our decision to suspend further industrial action last month.

We are now half way into the seven week period of extensive talks. In this time there was an initial meeting of the JWP to set out a programme for the seven weeks. Then, the week before last, there were two further meetings of the JWP. Last week we met as a main group once and this was followed by smaller working meetings. These are now pencilled in for up until the end of March together with weekly meetings of the main group.

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

Further to my previous circular IR/729/13 dated 18th December 2013, branches will be aware that following the referendum, members overwhelmingly rejected the 2013 pay offer. Whilst your union welcomed the move from individual contracts to collective bargaining, your union remains of the view that this offer was unacceptable as, for some members; the offer represented a below-inflation pay rise.

From RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash

The following resolution has been received from London Transport Regional Council:

“This Regional Council condemns the arrest by BTP of Mark Harding, the RMT Branch Secretary of Hammersmith & City Branch. Mark was arrested despite only carrying out legitimate trade union activities whilst on the picket line outside his place of work.

We note the resolution from the London Transport Regional Council and wholeheartedly agree that the arrest by BTP of Mark Harding, the RMT Branch Secretary of Hammersmith & City Branch was a travesty of civil of liberties. Bro Harding was arrested despite only carrying out legitimate trade union activities whilst on the picket line outside his place of work. We agree that his detention for nearly 13 hours and the draconian bail conditions imposed were extreme to say the least.

This General Grades Committee is outraged at London Underground’s ‘employee bulletin’, dated 19 February 2014, announcing the imminent commissioning of driverless/cabless trains for the Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City Lines.

We note that despite this union’s objections - the infringement of our members’ civil liberties and the threat to jobs - ISS (LU CONTRACT) are pressing ahead with the use of this technology. We further note that they intend to impose this technology on March 2nd and have been insisting our members sign documentation in advance of this imposition threatening our members that they must use this technology or they will not be paid. We instruct the General Secretary to seek legal advice on this matter as soon as possible.