TRANSFER OF ENGINEERING, MAJOR PROJECTS, PMO AND CHANGE DELIVERY ACTIVITY FROM LONDON UNDERGROUND LIMITED (LUL) TO TRANSPORT FOR LONDON (TfL)
Talks in this area have taken place over the last few months and the RMT remains opposed to this transfer and does not believe that we have ended consultation or have we reached a satisfactory conclusion to all of the issues that we have been raising despite the TUPE being imposed.
All the way through these talks the RMT argued for the need for full consultation and that we believed LUL was rushing this transfer through for Political reasons and to enable massive changes to occur straight after the transfer.
We also argued for guarantees of the below:
- That TfL would honour the fourth year of the LU Pay Deal.
- That current pension arrangements would transfer.
- That collective bargaining arrangements were agreed and continue, noting that there is no H&S machinery in TfL.
- That there is an EqIA to measure the impact on equality.
Eventually LUL had to admit that legally they had no option but to honour the fourth year of the Pay Deal which we welcomed.
However, item 2 was never about the pension rules because we understood that they remained the same, the argument was always about the pension promise that everyone received within their yearly statement. The argument surrounded the yearly increase in pensionable salary that we believed that the transfer to TfL would interfere with. The RMT have never accepted the TfL Pay for Performance formula that we believe disadvantages people in this transfer by placing them into pay bands where they will receive non-pensionable payments rather than increases in their actual pensionable salaries. We believe that this forms part of the real reason for the TUPE and is part of the government cuts agenda.
Item 3, was about not only maintaining the current negotiating structures but also about making sure that LUL & TfL understood with collective agreements applied and continued. There are a raft of decisions and agreements that the company would dearly like to get rid of and that the RMT have gone on record to highlight each and every main agreement so that there can be no hiding in the future behind the banner of ignorance when we look to enforce our members rights in all possible ways, including legal and industrial. In terms of Safety, it has to be said that there was not one single Health and Safety Meeting to discuss the implications of what can only be seen as a huge change that could have catastrophic implications for the future. The truth is that the drive to force the change through was far more important than discussing and showing that the TUPE is safe.
Item 4 is key, after months of arguing, LUL finally accepted that there was a need to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment and the RMT was appalled but not surprised to show that women and people from ethnic minorities were the most affected. The assessment showed that there is a huge amount of work to be done in TfL and LUL regarding Equality and Diversity and that this was not designed to be change for the better.
(17) MATS MANAGERS Functional Council Minutes 01 June 17
(17) MATS MANAGERS Functional Council Minutes 15 June 17
(17) MATS MANAGERS Functional Council Minutes 22 June 17
(17) MATS MANAGERS Functional Council Minutes 26 May 17
FINAL Joint Functional Council notes 05.05.2017
FINAL Joint Functional Council notes 09.06.2017