RMT press releases

Transport union RMT has today secured a major victory in the Employment Tribunal over the victimisation and sacking of Zack Dahou, a key activist on the Serco Barclay’s “Boris Bikes” scheme.

In a 37 page judgment the tribunal found in RMT’s favour on both of the counts brought by the union, that Zack had been unfairly dismissed and that that dismissal was linked to his trade union activities. There will now be a formal remedies hearing.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

Rail union RMT confirmed today that London Overground guards, who have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of a strike in a ballot following the announcement by Transport for London (TfL) of their plans to introduce Driver Only Operation (DOO) on the whole of the London Overground network, will take action for 48 hours over the coming Bank Holiday weekend.

The grades balloted have been instructed NOT to book on for any shifts that commence between:

00:01 hours on Sunday 25th August 2013 and 23:59 hours on Monday 26th August 2013.

That we note the ballot results are as follows:-

London Underground management have sewn further anger and disgust amongst staff as they effectively confirm that plans for cuts are not only real but are already being put into action. Their statement, far from "clarifying" matters, in a mixture of management jargon and avoidance of the real issues, de facto confirms that the axing of jobs and ticket offices is core to the LU management programme.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

On the day that secret plans for the alleged axing of thousands of crucial tube jobs was leaked by the TSSA union, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT has warned that the Government cuts of 12.5% to TFL budgets would result in thousands of job losses and now the numbers are being confirmed we are prepared to ballot across the Capital for strike action in defence of jobs and services.

MEMBERS OF TRANSPORT UNION RMT will begin 48 hours of strike action on Sunday evening on the so-called Serco Barclays "Boris" bikes after a 100% vote for strike action by the workforce on the London cycle scheme over a range of grievances.

All RMT members working for the Serco Barclays Cycle scheme have been instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between 21.00 hours Sunday 11th August 2013 and 20.59 hours Tuesday 13th August 2013

Members also remain instructed not to work any overtime until further notice as part of on-going action short of a strike.

RMT announces campaign of action to halt 12.5% London Transport cuts

TRANSPORT UNION RMT announced today that it will be mobilising a co-ordinated campaign, up to and including the use of industrial action, to halt massive cuts set to devastate transport services across the capital, smuggled through under the cloak of the Government’s spending review back in June.

Transport union RMT today demanded an end to what it described as “blatant rail racketeering” as statistics released this week by the Office of Rail Regulation show that walk-on passengers, who buy their tickets on the day of travel, have seen prices rise by 23.1 per cent in real terms over the past nine years.

Nothing highlights the growing rail fares scandal more than the fact a walk-on return fare from London to Newcastle costs £301, more than a round trip flight to New York. Skyscanner are advertising return trips to the States for £298 today.

In the latest incident, which happened at 9.50 on Monday morning (22nd July), the driver was given a target speed and proceeded to depart Finchley Central from platform.

He was already in the process of stopping as he had seen another train heading towards him from Mill Hill East as the Line Control emergency call to stop came through.

The driver was forced to carry out a wrong directional move back to Finchley Central to allow the train from Mill Hill East to continue to Finchley Central, an emergency preventative move that could only be carried out by a driver up-front in the cab.

Rail union RMT today pledged an all-out political, public and industrial fight following the announcement from Transport for London (TfL) to introduce Driver Only Operation (DOO) on the whole of the London Overground network. At a meeting with the LOROL senior management held on Monday at Overground House, RMT demanded that the plans, would lead to the scrapping of the Guard grades and the implementation of DOO, be withdrawn.