Industrial action

That we note the report from our Regional Organiser on this matter. In accordance with the branch's revised wishes, we rescind our previous decision on this matter. We instruct the General Secretary to ballot our driver members at Hammersmith depot for strikes and action short of strikes, and to ballot our driver members at Edgware Road and Barking (H&C) depots for action short of strikes.

We instruct the General Secretary to send a letter by post to all members being balloted, explaining the issue and the case for voting for industrial action.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the result of the ballot for ‘action short of strikes’ is as follows:-

Total votes cast: 45
Number voting “Yes”: 33
Number voting “No”: 12
Spoilt Papers: 0

We congratulate our members on their 73.3% majority vote to take action to defend their safety at work. We note that Finsbury Park branch will discuss this at its branch meeting tomorrow. Once the branch has given its recommendations for action, this matter to be placed back of us.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note that the ballot result for Power Control Room is a follows:-

Are you prepared to take strike action?

Total Votes Cast 4
Number Voting Yes 4
Number Voting No 0
Spoilt Papers 0

Are you prepared to take industrial action short of a strike?

Total Votes Cast 4
Number Voting Yes 4
Number Voting No 0
Spoilt Papers 0

TUBE UNION RMT announced today that it has served notice on London Underground for a ballot of all train operator and instructor operator members for strike action in an escalation of on-going disputes over the victimisation of union activists including two driver members - Eamon Lynch and Arwyn Thomas - over their trade union activities.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the correspondence from London Underground on this matter, and also note that London Underground has sent a letter by post to Victoria Line drivers defending its actions on these important safety matters and attacking our dispute. This underlines the importance of our previous decision that this union will send a letter by post to all our Victoria Line driver members outlining our stance on these issues, which is to be implemented without further delay. Email and text communication are to be used to promote this union’s ballot and industrial action, but not to substitute for letters by post when specifically instructed by the GGC.

To all Train Operators and Instructor Operators on the Victoria Line, from Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary:

Dear Colleagues,

BREAKDOWN OF MACHINERY OF NEGOTIATION: VICTORIA LINE UPGRADE SAFETY AND TRAINING ISSUES- LONDON UNDERGROUND

Further to my letter dated 27th January 2011 regarding the issues over Sensitive Edge Activation, a number of other issues have been bought to my attention concerning the Victoria Line Upgrade. The General Grades Committee has considered this matter and taken the decision to ballot all Victoria Line Train Operator members for industrial action short of a strike with a view to protecting you from being forced to work unsafely and unfairly blamed for accidents.

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has begun balloting the underground’s crucial Power Control Room staff for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pay grade progression.

In a recent referendum ballot on London Underground’s latest proposals to the staff they were rejected by a vote of 100% and the union is campaigning for a similar rock-solid mandate for industrial action.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

The RMT have released a video to explain the reason for balloting members to get our sacked reps, Eamonn Lynch and Arwyn Thomas reinstated.

RMT is balloting for industrial action at London Underground over the victimisation of these two drivers and union reps.

General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our Finsbury Park branch and accept its proposal. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to conduct the ballot of our Victoria Line driver members for action short of strikes as soon as practical, with the title “Breakdown of machinery of negotiation: Victoria Line upgrade safety and training issues”.

General Grades Committee decision:

That following our members’ rejection of London Underground’s offer on grade progression, and following consultation with our representative and with Unite, we instruct the General Secretary to ballot our members in the Power Control Room for strike action and action short of strike. The ballot is to start as soon as possible and to close on Tuesday 5 April.

The Southern Sub-Committee will submit a further report regarding Track Access Control after further consultation.