Campaigning for better working conditions
We note the correspondence from London Underground Ltd dated 13 September and 1 October 2013, and the discussion of this item at the Company Council meeting on 26 September 2013. This correspondence confirms that the LUL/ASLEF agreement traded changes to the Train Operators Resourcing Agreement (TOPRA) for the £350 bonus for working on Boxing Day.
In this months newsletter:
This article and the attached newsletter was updated on the 22nd of September to remove an outdated story about a member facing disciplinary
This industrial action has been called off
Transport union RMT announced today that hundreds of staff working for City Link will be taking seven days of strike action in a dispute over pay, working conditions and an attempt by the company management to bulldoze through changes to contracts.
The workforce will strike for seven days from 00.01 hours on Tuesday 24th September to 12.59 hours on Monday 30th September 2013.
We note the report from our Regional Organiser. While we welcome the move from individual contracts to collective bargaining of pay and conditions for Train Service Technicians, the current offer is not acceptable to us because:
- for some members, this represents a below-inflation pay rise
- it removes the enhanced rate of pay for overtime
- it allocates annual leave in hours rather than days, which will result in a loss of leave
We therefore instruct our Regional Organiser to pursue this matter through the appropriate procedure, to secure an acceptable offer.
We note that ASLEF has resolved its dispute with London Underground Ltd, reaching a settlement that drivers who work on Boxing Day will receive a £350 payment and that this is financed through amendments to the Train Operators Resourcing Agreement (TOPRA). These amendments cause some detriment to drivers, particularly newer drivers, who may find themselves unable to move to the depot of their choice for a longer period of time. RMT is not party to this agreement, and does not accept that working conditions should be sold in this way.
We note the correspondence and instruct the Regional Organiser to seek an urgent meeting with Doubleplay LU Ltd to confirm our members' situation and seek improvements to their pay and conditions.
We further instruct the General Secretary to obtain and place in front of us briefing notes on Platinum Equity and Doubleplay LU Ltd; and a timeline of ownership of this contract since advertisement posting was privatised.
London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.
That we note the result of the ballot for action short of strikes is as follows:-
Total Votes Cast 103
Number Voting ‘Yes’ 101 (98%)
Number Voting ‘No’ 2
Spoilt Papers 0
We congratulate our members on their determination to resist this draconian attack on civil liberties. We instruct our members to take industrial action short of strikes from 00:01 on Thursday 19 September 2013 until further notice, by booking on and off duty using the established method and not using the biometric machines.
A newsletter has been produced for cleaners working for ISS. It includes information about ISS attempt to introduce 'fingerprint booking on' and explains the unions aspirations for cleaners at work.
Click the attachment below to read it.
We note the report from our lead officer, and welcome the renewed efforts for RMT organising on Transport for London, so that we may more effectively fight on issues such as pay, conditions and jobs.
We welcome the monthly meetings to be held with our representatives, and instruct the General Secretary to place a report of the 1 October meeting in front of us.
That we note the letter from ISS stating that the company refuses to retract their unfounded statement that this Union ‘did agree to a trial of the biometric system’ but they now accept that we are opposed to any trial of a bio-metric time and attendance system.
This Union has always rejected the trials of this biometric entry system.
Further, we note that a meeting with the Lead Officer and the Company is due to take place on September 10th. An urgent report from the Lead Officer is to be placed back in front of this GGC once this meeting has taken place.