Author: Paul

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Retired Members Branch

Hi Brothers and Sisters,

Please do your best to come to the next meeting of the RMT LT Retired Branch.

It’s on Tuesday 10th January at 14.00 in Unity House, 39 Chalton Street London NW1 1JD.  We only meet every two months, so don’t miss it!

We will be discussing solidarity, ongoing RMT issues, and branch activities including the 2017 Retired Members Conference.  We also hope to have a guest speaker. Please find attached minutes of the last meeting.

Please take this opportunity to tell retired members that you have contact details for.  We are slowly building up mainly through e-mails and word of mouth. Most are interested and pleased to hear about the branch.

Stations Strike

From late on Sunday 8th January RMT and TSSA LU station members  are taking sttike action against  disastrous understaffing.  Details are here: https://www.scribd.com/document/335676726/Public-Leaflet-Jan17

If you can offer help on picket lines to your local branch, I’m sure it will be appreciated.

The TUC is holding a seminar on pensions which may be interesting (some of it anyway).  Details are below.

Hope to see you next week,

Comradely,

Olly New

Acting Secretary

07931 198501

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INTEGRATION OF TRACK AND TRAIN OPERATIONS – NETWORK RAIL

INTEGRATION OF TRACK AND TRAIN OPERATIONS – NETWORK RAIL

 

I write further to my previous circular on the above matter (Ref: IR/379/16, 6th December 2016) in which I advised you of your union’s disgust over hearing stories via the press that the government is planning to integrate track and train operations.

As I informed you in that circular, I wrote to Network Rail expressing this union’s concern and alarm at the press reports and that we had been kept in the dark over the plans. Network Rail has now responded indicating that the speech given by the Secretary of State was in line with its policy of “Delivering for our Customers” plan and strategy which it had been pursuing since 2014. The company also advised that it had sent out emails to staff in an effort to try to calm any fears employees may have.

Additionally, Network Rail indicated to me that the Department for Transport is planning to publish a Rail Vision Paper in the New Year and that the company would be willing to meet with RMT to “allay your concerns.”

Your National Executive Committee has noted the above points and instructed me to remain vigilant over this matter and also to take up the offer of a meeting with the company and this is currently being arranged.

I will of course keep you advised of all further developments in this matter. In the meantime, I would be grateful if you could bring this information to the attention of your members.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash

General Secretary

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RMT calls for postponement of night tube on the Pic Line

RMT calls for postponement of night tube on Piccadilly Line over safety concerns

 

RAIL UNION RMT today called for the postponement of the night tube on the Piccadilly Line – which is due to start on 16 December – due to on-going safety concerns.

The serious fleet problems involve trains that continue to suffer from “flatted wheels”, which means that they have to be taken out of service for the wheels to be checked and lathed back to safe tolerances .

RMT is calling for postponement until all the trains are fixed and safe.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said:

“LU fleet engineers have worked under impossible management pressure to keep services running on the Piccadilly Line.

“The fleet consists of 43 year old trains that have recently had their wheels replaced, leading to serious problems. RMT has been told the problem could take weeks to fix properly. The priority in the meantime should be to run a safe and reliable service in the daytime, when most people will be using the service.

“It is utter madness that while the service on the Piccadilly Line is at breaking point the company plan to run trains right through from 0500 Friday morning until 0030 Sunday.

“LUL should postpone night tube on the Piccadilly Line until all these engineering problems are fixed and the trains are signed off as safe.”

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LUL Station Strikes

Strikes Loom on Tube while middle managers shown to agree with RMT following job cuts

 

TUBE UNION RMT says that while strikes loom on London Underground middle managers have asked LUL Chief Operating Officer “How am I supposed to convince staff to break a strike/OT ban when I completely agree with many of the issues raised by the RMT?”

A leaked record of an “Area Managers Briefing” where senior Tube bosses met with area and line managers has exposed the chaos at London Underground stations following over 800 job cuts as part of LULs ‘Fit for the Future’ reorganisation that resulted in the closure of ticket offices on every station on the tube network.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary said,

“Tube unions have been warning LUL for two years that stations cannot function after so many job cuts. Now their own middle managers are telling them the same.”

RMT is accusing senior Tube bosses of risking passengers’ safety in order to try and avoid stations closing due to lack of staff.

“Instead of addressing a chronic lack of staff Tube bosses are ordering office workers and senior managers with no operational experience to cover the jobs of trained station staff after one day courses. We have seen people in jeans and trainers breaking safety rules as they try to cover roles that they are simply not qualified to do”, Mick added.

Tube unions are imposing an overtime ban on stations at present. As a result senior managers are having to cover for staff shortages on gatelines and platforms. While London Underground claims to be saving money they are paying managers and office workers bonuses of up to three times the cost of a customer service assistant’s wage to cover their roles.

RMT is now considering dates to take strike action in this increasingly bitter dispute over jobs, grading and forced transfers as a result of the closure of all ticket offices and associated reorganisation.

RMT has now released minutes of a management meeting between LUL Directors and middle managers. In the minutes area managers, who are responsible for all aspects of a group of up to seven stations, are quoted as saying:

 “None of the top leadership team have ever been an ACTUAL operational manger in LU. Do you really think there is a sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge?

 Doesn’t having Area Managers (£65k) regularly having to personally keep a station open in place of a CSA (£30k) clearly show that Fit for the Future was a disaster?

 Mark Wild (LULMD) was quoted at a Managing our Stations event saying we’d cut too far and the model wasn’t working, but aren’t the same people that designed the model doing the review?

 If you took a straw poll of the room what proportion do you think would take Voluntary severance now? I’d guess about 50%. How do you fix it?

 Isn’t Steve’s (Steve Griffiths LUL COO) acceptance that there will be a mandate for action ‘as usual’ (Referring to RMT’s ballot for industrial action) an indictment that we’re getting it wrong all the time, or more often than not?

 “How am I supposed to convince staff to break a strike/OT ban when I completely agree with many of the issues raised by the RMT?”

 

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Blacklisting & Construction Union Collusion?

Len McCluskey:

“I undertake to ensure an independent review of this new evidence when I am re-elected General Secretary of Unite and after the new High Court proceedings have concluded”.

 

Full story and quote:

http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-ccd1-Blacklisted-activists-call-for-union-collusion-probe#.WFkHOZvfWhC

http://www.unite4len.co.uk/len-mccluskey-vows-carry-fight-blacklisted-workers/

 

 

Full text of original Open Letter (with more names added):

OPEN LETTER FROM BLACKLISTED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

We the undersigned, are writing this open letter in the spirit of fraternal debate amongst members of the newly merged UCATT / UNITE construction union.

The upsurge in industrial militancy in the last few years demonstrates that when the official union works alongside rank and file activists, it is possible to mobilise workers even in a hostile environment. The merger offers an opportunity to start anew the fight against the appallingly high fatality rates and casualization of the construction industry by combining the best traditions of the two unions.

However, one issue threatens to cause internal friction: possible union collusion in blacklisting.

Some years ago, both UCATT and UNITE carried out internal investigations into possible union involvement in blacklisting. But that was at a time when barely any of the documentation was available.

Since the High Court, all that has changed. The employers were forced to provide witness statements and disclose 40 years worth of documentary evidence. It is now in the public domain that officials in both unions were recorded as the source of information on Economic League and Consulting Association blacklist files. Some of those named, remain senior officials in UNITE and UCATT to this day. Every union activist in construction knows who the named officials are, as does every major employer.

The leadership of both unions have now seen the evidence: discussions about those officials potentially implicated in blacklisting or with overly cosy relationships with industrial relations managers has been part of the behind the scenes discussions in the run up to the merger.

The High Court litigation won a multi-million pound settlement for blacklisted workers. We fully acknowledge and recognise the tremendous legal, political and industrial campaigns that the unions have undertook.

But compensation is not the same as justice: there has still been no-one held accountable for their actions. We remain resolute in calling for a public inquiry into blacklisting. But that is for a future Corbyn government. Now is the time to put our own house in order.

We the undersigned call upon the new UNITE construction section to engage an independent legal expert to carry out a thorough investigation of the allegations relating to union collusion in blacklisting, with a remit drawn up in conjunction with the blacklisted workers. If the implicated officials are completely innocent, then this is their opportunity to clear their name once and for all.  But if the independent investigation concludes that there is a case to answer, then the union should take the appropriate disciplinary action. We are not looking for a witch-hunt, we simply want answers into possible union collusion in order to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.

This issue has haunted the union for years and until it is prepared to act, it will continue to be a running sore that hinders building unity in the newly merged union. We need to unite in order to fight against unscrupulous employers and the Tories, but the newly merged union needs to start with a clean slate.

We urge members to please attend your branch or regional meetings, and send a motion in support of an independent investigation to the UNITE EC.

Yours fraternally:

Blacklist Support Group

Construction Rank and File (national)

(plus in a personal capacity)

Steve Acheson – ex-UNITE branch secretary & safety rep

Dave Ayre – ex-Crook UCATT branch secretary

Royston Bentham – ex-UCATT steward & secretary UNITE Liverpool construction

Graham Bowker – treasurer UNITE Manchester contracting branch

Graeme Boxall – branch secretary UNITE London construction branch

Ian Bradley – UNITE London contracting branch

Terry Brough – ex-UCATT North West Regional Council

John Bryan – retired Bermondsey UCATT

Daniel Collins – UNITE London construction branch

John Connolly – UNITE Liverpool

Paul Crimmins – ex-UCATT branch secretary & steward

Dan Dobson – ex-UNITE SE construction branch secretary

Stewart Emms – ex UCATT full time officials

Peter Farrell – UCATT, Construction Safety Campaign

John Flannaghan – ex-UCATT, now UNITE

Jack Fawbert – ex-UCATT convener

Lee James Fowler – ex-offshore safety rep, UNITE

George Fuller – ex-UCATT safety rep

Jim Grey – Jubilee Line steward, UNITE London contracting

Jim Harte – chair UNITE Combine Committee

Brian Higgins – ex-UCATT Eastern Regional Council & branch secretary

Kev Holmes – chair, UNITE Manchester construction branch

Stewart Hume – UNITE construction NISC

John Jones – ex-UCATT London Regional Council

Tony Jones – UNITE Manchester construction branch

Bill Kaye – UNITE Eastern Region

Steve Kelly – Jubilee Line steward, ex-UNITE branch secretary

Stephen Kennedy – Jubilee Line steward, UNITE

Greig McArthur – UNITE construction NISC

Frank Morris –UNITE EC member for construction

Tony O’Brien – ex-UCATT Southwark convenor & branch secretary

Jason Poulter – secretary UNITE Manchester construction branch

Jim Ryan –Crossrail steward, UNITE London contracting

Tony Seaman – UNITE construction NISC

Pete Shaw – UNITE construction RISC, Combine committee

Dave Smith – ex-UCATT branch secretary & London Regional Council

Frank Smith – ex-UCATT branch secretary & steward

Billy Spiers – chair UNITE construction NISC, ex-AMICUS EC member

Tony Sweeney- ex-UCATT Liverpool convener

Colin Trousdale – ex-UNITE NW Region RISC

Victor Williams – Unite construction

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November Inflation Rates

New Inflation Rates

 

The Office for National Statistics has published inflation figures for the twelve months to November 2016.

 

The Retail Prices Index (RPI) stood at 2.2% for the year to November 2016, up 0.2% from the year to October 2016.

 

Some private and public sector employers are attempting to sideline RPI as the measure for pay negotiations and are pushing other measures – such as CPI (1.2% for the year to November 2016, up 0.3% from the year to October 2016) or CPIH (1.4% for the year to November 2016, up 0.2% from the year to October 2016). These alternative inflation measures are not appropriate for pay negotiations as they are an inaccurate measure of workers’ average costs over the year.

 

Any attempts by an employer to link pay awards to CPI or CPIH must be opposed and logged with the National Policy Department.

 

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INTEGRATION OF TRACK AND TRAIN OPERATIONS – NETWORK RAIL

INTEGRATION OF TRACK AND TRAIN OPERATIONS – NETWORK RAIL

I write to advise branches of an announcement made yesterday by The Secretary of State for Transport that the Tory Government plans a major reorganisation of the railway which would see track and train operations integrated. Also announced was a plan for the private sector to fund, construct and operate an East West Route from Oxford to Cambridge on a similar basis to Crossrail.  Appallingly the first the union heard of this was via the press.

I have today written to Network Rail expressing our alarm and disgust at the manner in which we have been kept in the dark. We see this plan for the future of Train and Track for what it is,  a clear attempt to further extend privatisation taking us back towards the days of Railtrack where private shareholder profit was prioritised over public safety. Lethal accidents such as those at Hatfield and Potters Bar were the direct result of this skewed and dangerous logic, and we will strongly challenge any privatisation of Network Rail with all tools at our disposal.

Since the creation of Network Rail we have had a constructive relationship which has benefited the railway, passengers and staff. However it can only be described as disgraceful that the first we hear of a plan to drastically reorganise the operation of Network Rail was through the mainstream media. Network Rail regularly harp on about us being Stakeholders but we and our thousands of members appear to be an afterthought!

The idea that more privatisation is needed on the railway is ludicrous and handing over responsibility for the track over to private companies, most of whom have demonstrated repeated failures in running basic services is very alarming. Furthermore the proposed private sector construction and operation of East West Rail, operated without Network Rail involvement only serves to create further concerns over the private control of the track. We have demand urgent discussions with Network Rail to clarify the implications of this privatisation on members’ jobs and conditions.

Please pass this information on to any Network Rail members in your branch.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash

General Secretary

 

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Latest RMT Circular

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, TRAIN OPERATORS, PICCADILLY LINE – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/2)

 Further to my previous Circular (IR/361/16, 25th November 2016), talks took place with the Company at ACAS on 25th November, 1st, 2nd and 5th December  in an effort to avoid the strike action due to commence from 21:30 hours this evening. These were attended by the new LUL JNP Director and good progress was made with management moving to our position on some key issues.

The National Executive Committee has considered this matter and taken the decision to cancel the planned strike action on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th December 2016 as the major issues of this dispute have been ceded by management and are therefore resolved.

LUL has confirmed that there are no foreseeable plans to extend the use of Cockfosters Depot facilities and all members will continue to receive full familiarisation. A SPAD Policy briefing with management will take place in conjunction with the Trans Functional Council Reps to seek to resolve any negative perceptions and to ensure the process is undertaken fairly and consistently. Assurances have been received on other issues and Brother Gary Fitzpatrick’s safety has been protected by removing the other party from the workplace while the matter is resolved through the proper procedures.

 

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, TRAIN OPERATORS, HAMMERSMITH & CITY LINE – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/2)

 Further to my previous Circular (IR/361/16, 25th November 2016), following constructive following talks at ACAS, the National Executive Committee considered a report from the Lead Officer and the view of the negotiating team and has taken the decision to suspend the planned strike action on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th December 2016.

Some important commitments were received from management regarding meetings and adherence to proper policies and procedures. Further meetings at ACAS will take place in January 2017 to review progress and I will keep you advised of all further developments.

 

 

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR’S WORKING ARRANGEMENTS, TRAIN OPERATORS, HAMMERSMITH & CITY LINE AND DISTRICT LINE – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/7/2)

Further to my previous Circular (IR/361/16, 25th November 2016), all RMT Train Operator & Instructor Operator members on the Hammersmith & City Line and District Line should now have received their ballot paper regarding the above dispute. I urge all affected members to vote ‘YES’ FOR STRIKE ACTION and ‘YES’ FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION SHORT OF A STRIKE and to return the paper in the freepost envelope provided to reach the Scrutineer by Thursday 15th December 2016.

If you know of a member who has not received their ballot paper, please ask them to call the Freephone Helpline on 0800 376 3706 or e-mail info@rmt.org.uk as soon as possible so we can send them a replacement paper.

 

DISMISSAL, D. STOREY, TRAIN OPERATOR, WEST RUISLIP – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/4/1)

Further to my previous Circular (IR/361/16, 25th November 2016), all RMT Train Operator & Instructor Operator members at White City Traincrew Depot and West Ruislip Traincrew Depot should now have received their ballot paper regarding the above dispute. I urge all affected members to vote ‘YES’ FOR STRIKE ACTION and ‘YES’ FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION SHORT OF A STRIKE and to return the paper in the freepost envelope provided to reach the Scrutineer by Tuesday 13th December 2016.

If you know of a member who has not received their ballot paper, please ask them to call the Freephone Helpline on 0800 376 3706 or e-mail info@rmt.org.uk as soon as possible so we can send them a replacement paper.

 

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Drivers on Piccadilly and Hammersmith and City Lines to strike on 6th and 7th December

Drivers on Piccadilly and Hammersmith and City Lines to strike on 6th and 7th December

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that drivers on the Piccadilly and Hammersmith and City Lines are to strike for 24 hours on the 6th  and 7th December in two separate disputes over a breakdown in industrial relations, breaches of procedures and bullying and harassment of staff.

The action in both disputes will run from between 21.30 hours on Tuesday 6th December and 21.29 hours on Wednesday 7th December 2016.

 

‎400 drivers on the Piccadilly Line will take strike action in a dispute over breaching agreements, procedures and policies which amounts to a wholesale breakdown in industrial relations between the union and London Underground.

The Piccadilly Line is the fourth busiest on the London Underground network and serves the terminals at Heathrow Airport.

The dispute is over a combination of issues including:

  • Failure to properly administer LUL’s SPAD policy with continued threats to our members’ role as drivers
  • Failure to respond to members concerns regarding the quality of training with management refusing machinery meetings and reneging on previous commitments
  • The assertion from the Director of Employee Relations stating that staff other than the driver have the final say on the serviceability and safety of a train, going against agreed instructions
  • Continued breaches and misuse of a number of LUL policies to the detriment of members, including but not exclusive to the Attendance at Work Policy and the Harassment and Bullying Policy.

The dispute on the Hammersmith and City Line is over heavy handed and aggressive management and a flagrant disregard for agreed policies and procedures. ‎

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“This dispute on the Hammersmith and City Line is about the basic issues of protecting working conditions of our members and defending agreements from attempts to drive a coach and horses through them. The management are out of control and the anger at their failure to follow procedures has boiled over.

“This breakdown in industrial relations should never have been allowed to happen and if agreements and processes had been adhered to from the off the package of issues at the heart of the dispute could have been resolved through the joint machinery.

“In the separate dispute involving drivers on the Piccadilly Line, safety is again a major factor and is tied in with the ripping up of policies and procedures and ignoring warnings from staff. Our members have been left exposed and vulnerable and we have no choice but to blow the whistle before lasting damage is done.

“The union remains available for talks in both disputes.”

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RMT reaction to the death of Fidel Castro

RMT reaction to the death of Fidel Castro

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“RMT is saddened to hear of the death of our comrade and inspiration Fidel Castro. It should never be forgotten that Fidel and his comrades swept away Batista and his corrupt, mafia-controlled regime and replaced it with a socialist model which put health and education at the forefront even in the toughest days of the US blockade.

 

“The resilience and determination of the Cuban people under the leadership of Fidel Castro and his comrades has been an inspiration to socialists and trade unionists around the globe for ‎six decades

 

“But now we get on with the job of organising for the future just as Fidel Castro would have wanted us to do and RMT reaffirms it’s support for the Cuba Solidarity Campaign in the work that lies ahead. “

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RMT / Cuba Solidarity Campaign 15th Garden Party: Wednesday 21st June 2017

Dear Colleagues

RMT / Cuba Solidarity Campaign 15th Garden Party: Wednesday 21st June 2017.

Following the sad news over the weekend regarding the passing of Fidel Castro, RMT will continue to show its solidarity with the people of Cuba. It is especially important now that we continue to develop the friendship between our Union and the Cuban people, as we have done for many years.

 

Therefore, I am pleased to announce that, in association with the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, the 15th RMT Annual Garden Party for Cuba will take place on Wednesday 21st June 2017 at Maritime House, Clapham, London, commencing 7.00pm.

 

Tickets will be available in the new year and will be £15 each. This includes a free bar, buffet and music. As usual we will be joined by a number of distinguished guest speakers.

 

The Garden Party will provide a wonderful opportunity to show solidarity with Cuba with friends from across the Labour and Trade Union movement.

 

I hope to be able to see you at the Garden Party on 21st June.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Mick Cash

General Secretary

 

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