Management's discipline and attendance policies - and the way they use them to mistreat staff
This is a circular from RMT General Secretary Bob Crow - LUL/4/4
Concerns have been raised with regard to the posting on the internet of a film of a Customer Service Assistant allegedly behaving inappropriately towards a customer, and the resulting campaign for his dismissal.
Click here to read a response from RMT station staff representatives to the posting of a video on YouTube showing a member of staff allegedly behaving inappropriately towards a customer.
This resolution, proposed by Stratford no.1 branch and seconded by TfL no.1 branch, was passed by the October meeting of the Regional Council ...
This Regional Council notes that our members continue to experience oppressive treatment at work, including: over-the-top disciplinary punishments, harsh attendance policies, heavy workloads, management pressure and bullying.
This resolution, submitted by Jubilee South and East London Line branch, was passed unanimously at the August Regional Council meeting.
This Branch/Regional Council believes that LUL management's consistent refusal to meet with the safety council and discuss a strategy for dealing with the outbreak of swine influenza is completely unacceptable.
At RMT's AGM, I proposed this resolution on behalf of Stratford no.1 branch. Lots of delegates spoke in favour of the resolution, telling stories of management abuse of sick staff in their company and/or area. This relates strongly to one of the three issues of our current Jobs Pay and Justice dispute. The resolution was passed unanimously. This is the text of my speech.
Across our industry, employers are clamping down on sickness absence.
Happily, the industrial action between Wednesday 8th April and Thursday 9th April 2009 was a success.
Particular thanks go to the many managers who somehow found time in their “busy and demanding schedules” to keep seats warm at various stations. As a result, this freed staff taking industrial action to:
· Hand out thousands of leaflets to thousands of travelling customers informing them of the harassment, intimidation and bullying to which staff on the Willesden Green Group are subject.
Stratford no.1 branch has submitted the following resolution to RMT's AGM.
This AGM believes that across our industries, employers are using MFA/attendance policies to bully workers when we are sick, to force us either to attend work when we are not fit to, or out of work altogether.
We support our members who have been prepared to take industrial action over this, for example at Glasgow Central Virgin Trains depot, and at East Ham and Willesden Green station groups on London Underground.
We resolve that RMT should:
Following an overwhelmimg yes vote for Industrial action and London Undergrounds refusal to invite the Equality and Human Rights Commission to investigate Managements discriminatory and abusive treatment of our members, a strike has been called as follows:
Members are not to book-on for any turns of duty that commence between 18.59 Hours on Wednesday 8th April and 18.58 Hours on Thursday 9th April 2009.
Victoria line management sack another driver – Jamie Witchell – sacked for trying to steal a laptop and not following lost property procedures (?)
From RMT official circular IR/108/09, dated 2nd April 2009
As you are aware there was a ballot held for Willesden Green and the results for this ballot are shown below;
WILLESDEN GREEN GROUP ________________________STRIKE ACTION____SHORT OF STRIKE NUMBER VOTING YES______35_______________39 NUMBER VOTING NO_______18_______________13 SPOILT PAPERS___________0________________1 TOTAL VOTES____________53_______________53
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Willesden Green members for their resolve and support.