Industrial action

RMT and London Underground agreed in May to an independent review of industrial disputes on the company. This review will be carried out by a professor of industrial relations. If reps or branches have information or views you would like to feed into this review, please email me j.booth@rmt.org.uk. RMT's General Grades Committee discussed the terms of reference of the review, and adopted the following report:

Referring to Decision Gww 14 June 2011, we have considered the draft terms of reference of the agreed review of industrial disputes between London Underground and RMT.

THE AGM of rail union RMT, meeting in Fort William this week, has endorsed plans for a massive national campaign, including a cross-industry strike ballot if necessary, to resist any attempts by the Government to roll out its McNulty Rail Review assault on Britain’s railways.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the letter from London Underground dated 27 May 2011 on this matter. Its content is not acceptable to our representatives, and by its own admission, it does not address all of our concerns. We continue to believe that there are serious safety concerns on the Victoria Line, and reaffirm our industrial action short of strikes.

We note that a further meeting with the company is to take place on this issue on 23 June. A report on this meeting is to be placed in front of us as soon as possible after this meeting.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the correspondence from London Underground.

It is disingenuous of LU to complain that this union has not used the ‘agreed machinery’ when during the period referred to there was no agreed machinery due to LUL’s withdrawal from it. Despite this, our reps have tried to maintain good industrial relations.

Furthermore, despite LUL’s claims, there are no agreed minutes available yet and our representatives have been requesting a director level meeting to discuss this matter.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the report from our Regional Organiser and our representative, and are alarmed that London Underground intends to conduct trials from Seven Sisters to Walthamstow Central from May 30 despite our ongoing dispute over safety issues.

Eamonn Lynch's employment tribunal findings are now available.

"The Tribunal unanimously found that Eamonn had been unfairly dismissed and more importantly, automatically unfairly dismissed on grounds of his health and safety and trade union duties and activities."

"It was found that the fact that he was a health and safety committee member prayed heavily on the minds of the disciplinary panel"

"The tribunal concluded the dismissal was far too harsh a sanction and that no reasonable employer would have decided dismissing Mr Lynch was proportionate."

Click read more to get more detail from the employment tribunal findings. A scan of the findings in full is attached.

RMT GGC decision (extract):

Following consultation with our representatives, we call strike action as follows:

All London Underground train driver members are instructed not to book on for any duty that commences:

• between 21:01 on Monday 16 May and 11:59 on Tuesday 17 May
• between 12:00 on Wednesday 18 May and 11:59 on Thursday 19 May
• between 12:00 on Friday 20 May and 21:00 on Friday 20 May

All London Underground train driver members are further instructed not to book on for any duty that commences:

The Strike has been suspended - http://rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/node/2191

All London Underground train driver members are instructed not to book on for any duty that commences:

• between 21:01 on Monday 16 May and 11:59 on Tuesday 17 May
• between 12:00 on Wednesday 18 May and 11:59 on Thursday 19 May
• between 12:00 on Friday 20 May and 21:00 on Friday 20 May

All London Underground train driver members are further instructed not to book on for any duty that commences:

• between 21:01 on Monday 13 June and 11:59 on Tuesday 14 June
• between 12:00 on Wednesday 15 June and 11:59 on Thursday 16 June
• between 12:00 on Friday 17 June and 21:00 on Friday 17 June

TUBE UNION RMT today announced strike dates after members voted by almost two to one for strike action in a ballot of all train operator and instructor operator members in the on-going disputes over the victimisation of union activists including two driver members - Eamon Lynch and Arwyn Thomas - over their trade union activities.

RMT GGC decision:

Following the ballot result for action short of strikes in pursuit of this dispute, and following consultation with our reps and branch, we instruct our members involved in this dispute, from 00:01 on Thursday 5 May:-

1. NOT to recognise the imposed sensitive edge door procedure and to work the previous safer instruction. i.e. go back to the carriage concerned and physically check the cause of activation.