Defending and improving conditions

WITHDRAWAL OF REST DAYS – JUBILEE LINE – TUBE LINES (LUL/8/6)

We have entered into dispute with Tube Lines after they took away the rest days of our Jubilee Line Permanent Way members. We believe it is totally unacceptable to remove our members’ right to proper rostered agreed quality time off away from work. The union has therefore entered into dispute with the company and ballot papers will be sent to members later this week with a closing date of Thursday 19th June 2014.

A resolution was received from our LU Fleet Branch to advise how their members are appalled at the treatment of Brother Ainsley McKoy by COO Operations management. This follows a COO Manager instigating disciplinary action against a Fleet member outside their sphere of influence, without any involvement by COO Fleet Management in the process. We believe this has serious implications across the whole of fleet and our Call Point Train Maintainers where any manager can discipline one of our members and bypass the whole COO Fleet process. This sets a very dangerous precedent.

We note the resolution from the London Transport Regional Council and agree that the union must deal effectively with our members demands and aspirations employed in the cleaner grade. The most effective way for our members concerned to secure decent terms and conditions and social justice in the long term is through industrial trade unionism and rock solid organisation.

I attended the first meeting of the newly-convened APC Forum last week and whilst awaiting the draft minutes to be sent out from the meeting, just wanted to give our members and reps a preliminary report on what was discussed at this meeting and the current RMT position on a number of important issues. Our newly-appointed delegation consisted of me representing Stations, Dean O' Hanlon representing Trains, and Neil Atkinson representing Engineering Grades.

Tube Lines depot staff to be balloted for strike action over abuse of procedures

Tube union RMT confirmed today that it will begin balloting Tube Lines members at Northfields Depot for both strike action and action short of a strike later this week in a dispute over the wholesale abuse of agreements and procedures.

Among the catalogue of complaints tabled by the union are;

• abuse of the agreed Sickness and Attendance Agreements and Procedures
• denying members the right to access the grievance procedure
• withholding members’ sick pay
  

AMENDED INDUSTRIAL ACTION

Further to my previous correspondence, I would again like to congratulate you for supporting your union’s call for strike action and action short of a strike in defence of your pension. Your Executive has carefully considered the strong wish of you and your colleagues to carry out industrial action in order to oppose these plans and those expressed by your representatives to fight TfL’s plans. I can now advise you that your General Grades Committee has decided to amend some of the industrial action.

Due to the massive response to, and the damning results of, my survey last year, London Underground were shamed into taking our Thermal Comfort seriously.

Unfortunately, they haven’t taken it seriously enough – as you are about to discover.

LU recently employed various people and/or departments to look at ‘The Thermal Comfort of Operational Staff Who Work Outside’. During this exercise our uniform was tested to determine its TOG rating.

Here’s what a London Underground HSE advisor said.

The RMT have received a document which shows that London Underground bosses plan for all station staff to work across all stations in their area while for 1/3 or 1/4 weeks we will all work as “cover”. Cover will be arranged over several groups meaning some staff could work in a number of stations with longer travelling time to and from work.

The briefing also gives some details about assessments for CSM and CSS roles. It looks as though the assessments will rely on subjective assessments of the suitability of each member.

Following a ballot for strike action which resulted in an overwhelming 88% vote in favour in a dispute over the systematic abuse of drivers and the unilateral ripping up of negotiated agreements, all RMT Train Operators and Instructor Operators on the Piccadilly Line are instructed to not book on for any turns of duty that commence between: -

12:00 hours on Wednesday 4th December 2013 and 11:59 hours on Thursday 5th December 2013.

We note the report from our Regional Organiser and share his alarm at the increase in the number of projected redundancies and the spread of possible redundancies to clerical grades.

We note that our Regional Organiser has requested feedback from our branch and representatives and instruct the General Secretary to place this in front of us when received.

We also instruct the General Secretary to ensure that our TfL membership details are kept as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.