Defend Your Workmates, Defend Your Union

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:31

by Steve Hedley, RMT Regional Council Secretary

An all-grades, all-companies ballot is essential if we want to stop sackings, harassment, victimisation and bullying. The very future of the union is at stake.

It doesn’t matter if you are a driver, station staff, controller, cleaner or engineer, you will know someone who has been harassed back to work when sick, been sacked for attendance or suspended for carrying out union activities.

Service Control Victimisation

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:28

by Kebba Jobe, RMT health & safety rep, LUL service control

In February, Jo Duffy was re-elected RMT representative, but his local Service Control Manager refused to recognise his position, despite the fact that a local rep had been negotiated for Jubilee line service control eight years previously and they had recognised me when I was the rep for five of those years!

East Ham Fights Back

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:21

by Rick Grogan, RMT rep, East Ham group

On East Ham group there is an ongoing dispute due to management’s disregard of proper procedure and the bullying and unfair sacking of staff.

A meeting with management made things worse, with management now saying you are not entitled to a union rep until you have been off sick for 28 days.

This opens the door to widespread abuse and bullying of staff. We have been struggling for over a year to get management to accept our agreements and now they have shown their contempt and torn up our right to representation when off sick.

Station Staff In The Firing Line

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:14

by Janine Booth, Stations & Revenue Council

As well as the Attendance Clampdown and unfair sackings (reported elsewhere in this newsletter),

LUL management are attacking station and revenue staff’s rights in several other ways: • threatening to forcibly displace staff away from the station they enjoy working at; • misusing the new Special Requirements Team (SRT) to cover for under-staffing of stations; • reorganising Revenue Control and making RCIs feel insecure about their jobs;

TfL Traffic Enforcement Job Cuts

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:11

by an RMT rep

Our Department Director has informed us of sweeping job cuts. It seems that management are bulldozing these cuts through. Rumours from worried senior managers are claiming that around 2,500 jobs are to be axed on TfL.

After giving us a slide show about ‘proposed’ changes, they then handed every member of staff a letter telling them whether their position had been ceased or not, and whether you would have to reapply for your own job.

Defend Our Cleaners

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:09

by Becky Crocker, Cleaners’ Co-ordinator, RMT Camden 3 branch

When cleaners took strike action, the cleaning companies victimised key activists.

Stonebridge Park RMT rep, Godday, organised a 100% solid strike at his depot. The day after, he was suspended without pay, removing this inspiring and effective rep from his workplace. Godday has been out of work since early July.

Defending Jobs Together

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 19:07

by Jared Wood, RMT rep, Rickmansworth group

We remain in dispute over the enforced transfer of five CSAs from Rickmansworth group.

RMT’s strike action was extremely well supported. 70% of turns did not book on; 25 members picketed. Several TSSA members and even non-union staff observed the strike.

LUL is picking local disputes with station staff in an attempt to demoralise us by facing these down. At some point they will attempt a major cut in station staff numbers. This must not be allowed to happen.

Meeting: Pay and Victimisation

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 18:38

RMT MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS YEARS PAY CLAIM AND THE VICTIMISATION OF REPS AND ACTIVISTS

Monday 13 October, 18:30, Friends House, 173 Euston Road (opposite Euston Station).

We are coming up to the time when the RMT will be discussing your next pay deal with the employers. We are seeking your views on what the pay claim should be and are asking you to attend this meeting to have your say on your future. As a democratic organisation we seek our members’ opinions on all important items and this is your chance to take part in this essential discussion.

Are TETRA Waves Dangerous?

Submitted by Admin on 1 October, 2008 - 17:45

Its official: no one seems to know!

After numerous meetings with management, Connect experts and a series of TETRA wave boffins, the Train’s Health and Safety Council are none the wiser about the effects of TETRA waves on the health of our members.

Given that we are mere drivers this is hardly surprising. More worryingly, at a recent TETRA conference organised by LU, the head of LU’s Occupational Health and an eminent expert in the field, brought in for a questions and answers stint, could not give guarantees about the safety of this new technology.