Pensions

We welcome the resolution from our London Transport Regional Council, and share its firm opposition to the TfL Pension Fund suspending transfers into the fund. This decision threatens the stability of the Fund and removes important rights from some of our members.

We also agree that ‘suspending’ a rule for six years is an undemocratic manoeuvre to avoid the process of changing the rules.

We note the report, which clearly illustrates the benefits of membership of the TfL Pension Fund as opposed to inferior, defined-contribution pension schemes that have been established by many employers operating under contract or franchise from TfL.

We note that:

• Many companies now offer pension schemes that are significantly inferior to the TfL Fund.
• Many of the workers concerned - eg. cleaners, canteen staff - would have worked for TfL (or its
  predecessor, London Transport) had they been employed prior to contracting-out, so would have been
  members of the TfL Fund.

We note the report from our lead officer.

We deplore the stated intention of the employer to refuse to:

• allow transferring staff to join the TfL Pension Scheme;
• uphold the settlement of the 2001 PPP dispute which includes ‘no compulsory redundancies’ and explicitly applies to all employees and all future employers; and
• recognise RMT in departments into which our members are transferring

In accordance with the request of our lead officer, we instruct the General Secretary to obtain legal advice on these matters, to uphold the rights of our members.

We note the report from our lead officer. While welcoming the reintegration of some Tube Lines staff into LUL and TfL, we are disappointed that some will remain in Tube Lines, and appalled that the companies plan not to allow transferring staff to join the TfL Pension Scheme.

This is an attack not just on these members’ rights but on the security of the pensions of all other staff.

We instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report on how we might progress our fight over this issue, and to place it in front of us within 14 days.

'Reintegration' brings new threat to pensions and conditions

RMT has slammed plans to transfer some Tube Lines clerical and project staff back in-house to TfL and London Underground without pension or travel facilities, and has threatened industrial action to defend the terms and conditions of its members.

Tube union RMT has slammed plans to transfer some Tube Lines clerical and project staff back in-house to London Underground without pension or travel facilities and has threatened industrial action to defend the terms and conditions of its members.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that while proposals to re-integrate some staff into LUL may sound positive after the long-running PPP Tube privatisation fiasco, the 700 or so staff involved would not be allowed to join the TfL pension fund.

We note the report of our representatives’ meeting, and further note that a meeting with the employer is due to take place on 8 March regarding our demands for travel equality, and a further meeting towards the end of March regarding our demand for pensions equality.

We note with concern the correspondence from our Bakerloo branch that recently-recruited drivers did not have their pension contributions adjusted to the correct level until the first pay period of 2013 despite being in their new grade for many months.

We remind London Underground Ltd that the TFL Pension Fund rules are clear, and that a driver member is entitled to accrue his/her pension as a driver from the date of his/her appointment as a driver.

We note the report on file from our lead officer and in line with the unanimous view of our Company
Council representatives, we instruct the General Secretary to suspend the industrial action (strike and
overtime ban) due to start on Friday 15 February.

We note that Tube Lines is to cost our demands for pension and travel equality by the end of March.

We note the response to the joint statement from all four trade unions advocating that all Tube Lines employees be allowed to join the TfL Pension Scheme. While we are pursuing our demand for pensions equality through a dispute and negotiations with Tube Lines, we believe that it is valid for the Working Group to support our position based on the strength of the Scheme and affordability, and instruct the General Secretary to reply accordingly.