Industrial action

We note the report from our Regional Organiser that at a meeting yesterday, Tube Lines offered the following:

• Tube Lines would start immediately to issue staff Oyster cards to all staff and also
  issue staff nominee passes in line with those issued to LUL staff.
• A joint working party would be set up to look at the rates of pay, terms and conditions,
  pensions and 75% reduction on mainline railways between Tube Lines and APD.

In line with the recommendation of our representatives and previous decisions, we instruct the
General Secretary to ballot our London Underground service control members on the Piccadilly Line
and Sub-Surface Railway (SSR) for strike and action short of strike.

London Transport Regional Council, branches London Underground service control representatives to
be advised.

That we note the offer from CBS Outdoor of a 1.5% pay rise and a £500 Olympics bonus.

We support our Regional Organiser’s view that this offer is derisory and comes nowhere near meeting our aspirations. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to:

• Immediately conduct a ballot of all our CBS Outdoor members for strike action andaction short of strike

Submitted by LU Engineering branch

The GGC have decided that the RMT will not agree any breaches to the framework agreement either forced or voluntary.

From RMT London Transport Region Executive Janine Booth

INDUSTRIAL ACTION

• LU service control – decision today
• Cubic – ballot re pay (2.5%)/Olympics
• Cleaners – Initial/ISS
• Tube Lines – this week’s action – BW report
• Thales – ballot put on today
• Telent/Quinns – ballot decided, still being prepared
• TfL Olympics – ballot decided, still being prepared
• Time taken to prepare ballots – verbal report given

We note that our London Underground service control representatives and members met on
Wednesday 18 April. They feel strongly that London Underground Ltd has not responded adequately
to their concerns, and wish RMT to begin a ballot for strike action and action short of strike forthwith.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to:

• commence this ballot
• set timescales for it which co-ordinate with other disputes in the London Transport region, so
  long as this is practical and does not unnecessarily delay action in any dispute

We note the resolution from LU Engineering branch and the report regarding our ballot of APD Fleet members.

There has been extensive coverage in the media of Tube Lines workers strike for equal pensions with other London Underground workers.

• BBC: LU workers to start 72-hour strike
• ITV: Underground denies PPP plans
• LBC: Tube strike starts at 4pm
  

• Action commences at 16.00 hrs today (24TH April) when Tube Lines staff, including the Emergency Response Unit, will walk off the job.
• It is important to point out that the impact of the action will extend beyond 72 hours as the strike decision says that … “members are instructed to return to work for shifts starting after 16:00hrs on Friday 27 April 2012.” Due to the shift patterns this means that the action and its impact on services will last throughout Friday evening.
  

FIRE BRIGADES UNION statement

London Fire Brigades Union is backing Tube Lines workers starting a 72-hour strike from 4pm this afternoon. The tube workers want access to the Transport for London pension scheme.

Ian Leahair, FBU Executive Council member for London said: “We’re throwing our support behind the Tube Lines workers taking strike action to secure access to the TfL pension scheme. A decent occupational pension is essential for workers to ensure they are not living in poverty in retirement.