Bob Crow's branch (LU Engineering branch)

The RMT Engineering Branch has launched a website and Facebook Page.

The new site will have all the latest news for branch members, as well as details about the branch and a mailing list that you can sign up for.

www.luengineeringrmt.co.uk

• LUL document reveals power control strike could lead to line suspensions
• Attached below is LUL 'change assurance plan' and information which can be displayed in depots and other relevant workplaces.

As you may be aware our power control room members are currently taking industrial action. This action started at 20.00hrs on July 1st and is scheduled to run until the 20.00hrs on July 15th.

The Train’s Safety Council met with management prior to earlier planned action by these workers to discuss how this would impact on the safety of drivers.

FURTHER STRIKE ACTION CALLED

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – POWER CONTROL OPERATORS
LONDON UNDERGROUND

Further to my recent letter, you will be well aware that talks have failed to reach agreement with the company. Last week I informed you of the initial strike called to begin from 1st July 2014 and this instruction has now been extended. To confirm, the union’s strike instruction is now as follows: -

Members are instructed no to book on for any shifts between:-

• 20:00 hours on Tuesday 1st July 2014 and 19:59 hours on Tuesday 15th July 2014.

Attached is a leaflet for London Underground engineering workers urging them to vote YES in RMT's industrial action ballot, 'Every Job Matters'.

Please distribute. If you would like copies sent to you, please email our Regional Organiser John Leach.

We note the correspondence from LUL. While we are disappointed that the company has not agreed to our request for better representation at the working party, we note that it has agreed to release all our company council reps for a feedback meeting the day after the first working party meeting, and understand that this will happen after every working party meeting.

We note the correspondence from London Underground Ltd dated 8 July 2013. We instruct the General Secretary to reply, explaining that the letter of 28 June does not provide us with the clarity and assurances that we seek. Accordingly, and in line with our previous decision Gww 2 July 2013, we instruct the General Secretary to proceed immediately with a ballot for strikes and action short of strikes, to a timescale to be agreed with our LU Engineering branch. A personal letter is to be sent to all members strongly urging them to vote Yes to both questions.

CHANGES TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLE REDUNDANCIES – MITIE (TFL CONTRACT) (LUL/14/2)

“We note the report from the Assistant General Secretary and are appalled that fraud was committed in the compilation of the business case and that this employer intends to go ahead with redundancies anyway.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to:-

• Seek press coverage of this situation
• Seek urgent legal advice on our options for putting a stop to these redundancies going ahead
  

This is the second part of a two part article taken from our newsletter on fighting job cuts. You can download it from here or request copies here

Fleet
LUL is deliberately moving to a system of less frequent maintenance of the train fleet. They want us to make checks on equipment such as tripcocks far less often. Examinations have already been moved from every 14 days to 28 days, and management plan to change daily checks to once every 60 days, and have us check the new stock just every 60 days. They also plan to reduce Hammersmith depot to little more than a stabling yard, cutting jobs and displacing staff, and to use the introduction of new trains as a pretext to do away with long-established rosters and working practices.

These cuts will inevitably lead to more failures and risk to passengers and staff, but management only care about saving money. They plan to do that by cutting our jobs and reducing their wage bill.