As you will recall from my previous Circular (No LUL/15/10, 16th May 2011) I highlighted the disparity in regards to the terms and conditions of those employees who were TUPE transferred from Alstom Metro Trains, Stratford Market Depot, to Tube Lines (TL) compared to those former Metronet employees who have been fully integrated into LUL.
RMT has revealed a shocking instruction from London Underground management - that visually-impaired passengers should not travel to Victoria station during the evening peak. The BBC has covered this story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15303638
The union said last year that savage cuts to station staffing would leave disabled people without the help they need in getting around the Tube system. This appalling report shows that we were right. London Underground should reverse the job cuts!
Voting papers are being despatched today to your home addresses for the referendum on the company’s pay proposals. This offer has been considered by the General Grades Committee and following a consultation meeting with your representatives, we have decided to hold a referendum with a recommendation to accept the offer.
Use your vote in this referendum which closes on 31st October 2011.
13 th October 2011
TO ALL RMT MEMBERS AT LUL
Dear Colleagues,
RATES OF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2011 – LONDON UNDERGROUND
I write to advise LUL members that voting papers are being despatched today to your home addresses for the referendum on the company’s pay proposals. This offer has been considered by the General Grades Committee and following a consultation meeting with your representatives, we have decided to hold a referendum with a recommendation to accept the offer.
I urge all members to use your vote in this referendum which closes on Thursday 27 th October 2011.
RMT General Grades Committee decision:
We welcome the AGM resolution calling for a national ‘SOS: Staff Our Stations’ campaign, particularly considering the renewed threat to station staffing posed by the McNulty report. We will campaign on this issue in conjunction with our campaign on McNulty.
We further note that a meeting has been arranged between ourselves and the TSSA on 24 October to discuss this issue. We instruct the General Secretary to prepare for this meeting by:
RMT General Grades Committee decision:
We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and that the company’s “full and final offer” is as follows:
5% this year
Year 2: June RPI+0.5%, minimum 1%
Year 3: June RPI+0.5%, minimum 1%
Year 4: June RPI+0.5%, minimum 1%
Year 5: June RPI+0.25%, minimum 1%
RMT General Grades Committee decision:
We note the correspondence from Tube Lines. We instruct the General Secretary to send a copy of this letter to our LU Engineering branch and relevant representatives, and to obtain reports from them on the ‘local consultation meeting’ referred to in the letter.
We further note the failure of other employers to respond to our correspondence on this matter, and instruct the General Secretary to send a follow-up letter demanding a response, and to arrange for the issue to be tabled at the next appropriate meetings with these employers.
RMT General Grades Committee decision:
We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that the company has rejected all our conditions claims and offered a pay rise of just 3.5% this year, in real terms a pay cut.
RMT General Grades Committee decision:
We note the correspondence from London Underground. We instruct the General Secretary to forward this letter to all our level 2 and tier 2 reps on London Underground, reminding them to ensure that their training is scheduled to avoid clashing with scheduled meetings of their Council. We also expect that if and when ad hoc meetings of their Councils are called which clash with pre-arranged training, management will agree to any request to rearrange the training to facilitate attendance at the Council meeting.
The Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions (EFITU) have issued a statement on TUC Congress resolution 72.Their statement is below and the original document is also attached.
Statement 30 September 2011
To the British Trade Union Congress and affiliated unions
Dear Brothers and Sisters,