Dear RMT Member

I have today advised LUL that a dispute situation exists and that RMT will be balloting all Train Operator and Instructor Operator members for strike action and action short of a strike. The issues which remain unresolved and form this dispute are:

• The imposition of the Trains Modernisation/compressed working week proposal in spite of a clear rejection of the proposal from a majority of all train operators.
• The Company's refusal to recognise an appropriate number of Reps commensurate with our membership level in the trains function.

Your RMT Lead Officer and Trains Functional Council Reps have engaged in months of discussions with LUL over its four-day week proposals but LUL has refused to budge on any of the points raised, including; duty lengths and parameters, pool arrangements, transfer arrangements and the impact on fatigue.

I also wrote to LUL in April last year seeking a review of representation levels on the Trains Functional Council as the current distribution of seats on the Council is disproportionate and unbalanced. It no longer accurately reflects the current membership levels of the unions represented on the Council. LUL did not reply to this letter and the Company intends to continue discussions about the implementation of its imposed project at TFC. I have also advised LUL today that RMT is, as always, available for talks and reiterated that these should now take place at the appropriate dispute resolution forum.

I will advise you of the timescale for the ballot shortly. In the meantime, if your job title, workplace or home address has recently changed, please update your RMT membership using e-Membership at www.rmt.org.uk or contact us on 0800 376 3706 or info@rmt.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Eddie Dempsey
General Secretary