Pay

We note that following the resolution from our LU Engineering branch, a meeting has taken place with GGC members and representatives of our Telent/MJ Quinns members. We affirm the views of our representatives that the situation facing workers on this contract is intolerable, with bullying, inadequate pay, and management refusing to allow employees to take leave during the Olympic period.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and welcome his actions in tabling a claim for an above-inflation pay rise, free travel passes, a full sick pay scheme, improved pensions and an Olympics bonus. We agree to his recommendation that should Initial not respond positively to the Olympics claim within 7 days and the other claims within 14 days, we intend to declare this union in dispute with this company in line with the wishes of our representatives.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that RMT has submitted a pay claim to ISS, and met with the company on 20 March to demand:

• a substantial, above-RPI pay rise
• a substantial Olympic bonus
• a sick pay scheme
• free travel passes
• improvement to the pension scheme

Should ISS not agree to these demands, our representatives wish us to ballot members for strike action and action short of strikes.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note that Tube Lines has offered a pay rise of RPI+0.5% (minimum 2%) payable from 1st April 2013 and again from 1st April 2014.

We note that a meeting of our representatives agreed to recommend that the union should accept this offer, and that this is endorsed by both branches with Tube Lines members, and that neither branches nor representatives have indicated that they feel that a referendum of members is necessary.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to advise Tube Lines of our acceptance of this offer.

Strike action by Initial cleaners at St Pancras International kicked off at 6am this morning with pickets out in force and rail union RMT reporting fantastic support from the public in the fight against poverty pay. Around seventy pickets and supporters have brought horns, drums and a carnival atmosphere to the London Eurostar terminal.

The workers have not had a pay increase for maintaining the opulent Eurostar terminal in four years and have been offered a pathetic 13 p taking them to £ 6.76 an hour, miles short of Boris Johnsons London living wage of £8.30 an hour.

RAIL UNION RMT today announced the end a pay dispute involving OCS cleaners working on the Eurostar contract after a new deal secured the union’s interim objective of getting all staff onto a minimum rate of £8 per hour by the autumn of this year.

A series of incremental increases under the package will say the minimum rate of pay rise from £7.40 an hour to £8.00 per hour by November - an increase of around 8% on the basic.

RAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that it has secured a £500 Olympics and Paralympics payment for Virgin Rail staff as part of a package which will also see wages and allowances rise by 4.6% or £950 (whichever is the greater) from April this year and a £500 flat rate payment for all staff covered by collective agreements for additional pressures on services throughout the Olympics period.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the response from ASLEF to our letter, and are pleased that ASLEF agrees to seek a joint approach to achieving the best possible offer from London Underground for Olympic working. We instruct the General Secretary to explore the possibility of a joint meeting with ASLEF, TSSA and Unite to pursue this.

STRIKES BY some 150 cleaners on three contracts across the Channel tunnel network have come a step closer after RMT members voted by overwhelming margins for industrial action in a bid to raise appallingly low pay levels.

The union has demanded fresh talks with subcontracting employers OCS and Initial after workers on the OCS Eurostar contract and Initial’s Eurostar and the Network Rail Channel tunnel rail link contracts endorsed action with only two votes cast against.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: