Author: Paul

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Blacklisting

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell MP is the confirmed speaker at the Blacklist Support Group parliamentary meeting

6pm Monday 7th December

Boothroyd Room

Portcullis House

Westminster

(turn left outside Westminster tube)

 

This parliamentary meeting takes place on the same day as the blacklisting group litigation involving around 700 blacklisted workers against 40 of the UK’s largest construction firms returns to the High Court in the first hearing since the companies admitted their guilt and apologised. This is also the first public event since the Blacklist Support Group and a number of blacklisted union activists were granted ‘core participant’ status in the Pitchford public inquiry into undercover policing.

John McDonnell was a founder member of the Blacklist Support Group and has spoken at numerous events organised by the justice campaign since 2009, this will be his first appearance on a blacklisting platform since his appointment as Shadow Chancellor by Jeremy Corbyn.

 

Also speaking at the event are:

 

Helen Steel – blacklisted environmental activist and one of the women activists who has recently won an apology from the Met Police for the abuse they suffered by undercover police officers.

 

Chris Stephens MP – SNP trade union coordinator in Westminster – will be speaking at the same time as the Scottish government is under pressure to call a public inquiry into undercover police spying on unions and social justice campaigns in Scotland.

 

John Hendy QC – the human rights lawyer who has been representing blacklisted workers for decades with cases lodged at the European Court of Human Rights

 

Scores of blacklisted workers will be present at the meeting for media photos and interviews.

 

Early morning photo opportunity:

9am – assemble outside the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand

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RMT response to Leytonstone stabbing incident

“RMT awaits the the full facts on this shocking incident and in the meantime the union  repeats it’s call for a London transport safety summit in light of the job cuts programme, the current security status and the intolerable pressure on staff and services.

” That summit should involve the unions, TFL, the BTP, the train companies and Network Rail. There can be no excuse for any further delays in bringing all parties together to address the security, staffing and safety issues currently confronting our transport services. “

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Section 15: Further Issues

It has come to light that following the trial of Section 15 that LUL have declared as successful, a whole further raft of issues were raised and ignored.

These included

  • Site Access Controllers at Northfields and Hatton Cross more often than not don’t have train radios or auto phones meaning that staff working at stations without phone reception on platforms must wait outside the station for their call that traction current is off and last train has departed. Leading to delays in starting work. This also means they aren’t contactable in an emergency if it should occur while in a line clear area.
  • Calls to and from Site Access Controllers are mobile phone calls and none of the safety critical messages are recorded.
  • SPC in work group is under no obligation to witness the passage of the last train or that the traction current has been discharged, just relies on an unrecorded message from Site Access Controller from Northfields or Hatton Cross that this has happened.
  • Driving to sites to sign in and out at Northfields and Hatton Cross isn’t environmentally friendly and means extra mileage plus wear and tear on vehicles.
  • A bulletin was sent that said “Section 15 is a possession protection method used during Engineering Hours that improves safety and increases the work time available on some shifts by up to 40 minutes”
  • From the list of issues above it cannot be seen how this has improved safety and from those staff involved, work time is actually significantly reduced not increased by up to 40 minutes. This is due to the time it takes to set up and remove possession and Site Access Controller to ring through the list of the SPC’s who have signed in.

Additionally, there have been further incidents raised via the Track Access Controllers

  • On Monday night 16th November we were made aware of an incident that allegedly took place in a Section 15 Possession.  POM had been granted access by SC only for support staff to find on site that traction current was still switched on; “Hatton cross to Heathrow, Both”.  If true this represents a fundamental failure of the key safety improvement “permissioning” promised by the introduction of this new procedure.
  • Monday night TAC denied access to a Train Master whose license to act in that role was out of date.   You may recall one of the TAC concerns raised about Section 15 was that SC and POM do not have the tools to check licenses are valid.  At the Tier 2 meeting on 10th September LUL told the RMT that all protection staff’s licenses are checked before being deployed to site.  Clearly that didn’t happen on Monday.  Had the Train Master been booked to work in a Section 15 Possession this would not have been detected.
  • Another concern was where Section 15 Possession limits were staggered, resulting in protection staff becoming confused about who to book on with at these locations.  Assurances were given future Possessions would have their limits aligned to prevent this happening.  This weekend there is a Section 15 Possession published:- both EB roads from Chiswick Park sub-gaps / LU boundary at Gunnersbury to Barons Court sub-gaps, then both local roads from Barons Court sub-gaps to Earls Court sub-gaps.  As a result half of the 4 tracking area is under Section 15 Possession, half in Engineering Hours.  Between Turnham Green and the Gunnersbury boundary, one road under POM’s control, the other belongs to TAC.  Worse still, a similar situation exists in the double track tunnel east of Earls Court.
  • Finally, in response to concerns that Section 15 could be used to replace EH protection, the TAC’s were told it was intended for major work packages. The Possession above is published to facilitate “point maintenance”.

The RMT is massively concerned about Section 15 Possessions and news on a ballot across LUL and Tubelines affected staff will be notified soon

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DLR Strikes

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – KEOLIS AMEY DOCKLANDS (DLR/14/2)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/261/15, 29th October 2015) and the solid strike action taken by KAD members between Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th November 2015, the DLR Branch met to discuss this dispute. Having noted a report received from the Lead Officer and the consensus of the DLR Branch meeting, the General Grades Committee has considered this matter and taken the decision to instruct all Docklands Light Railway members NOT TO BOOK ON FOR SHIFTS THAT COMMENCE BETWEEN:-

 

  • 03:59 hours on Monday 11th January 2016 until 03:59 hours on Tuesday 12th January 2016.
  • 03:59 hours on Wednesday 13th January 2016 until 03:59 hours on Thursday 14th January 2016.

 

  • 03:59 hours on Monday 8th February 2016 until 03:59 hours on Wednesday 10th February 2016.
  • 03:59 hours on Thursday 11th February 2016 until 03:59 hours on Friday 12th February 2016.

 

  • 03:59 hours on Monday 7th March 2016 until 03:59 hours on Wednesday 9th March 2016.
  • 03:59 hours on Thursday 10th March 2016 until 03:59 hours on Saturday 12th March 2016.

 

  • 03:59 hours on Monday 21st March 2016 until 03:59 hours on Friday 25th March 2016.
  • 03:59 hours on Tuesday 29th March 2016 until 03:59 hours on Saturday 2nd April 2016.

 

I am sure all members will show their support for our DLR colleagues in this ongoing dispute. As always, we remain available for talks with the Company to resolve this dispute and I will keep you informed of all developments.

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LUL Pay

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AND NIGHT TUBE – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/0001)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/270/15, 5th November 2015), the summary of the recent offer which was received from London Underground and communicated to all members last week, is also below for your information and attention.

 

Pay

 

A four year above inflation deal from 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2019

 

  • Year 1 – An average 2%, made up of 1% plus a flat rate £500 consolidated increase on basic salaries recognising the introduction of Night Tube
  • Year 2 – RPI or 1% whichever is greater
  • Year 3 – RPI or 1% whichever is greater
  • Year 4 – RPI + 0.25%

 

Fit for the Future Stations

 

Building on commitments made last year, London Underground will guarantee:

 

  • Comparable number of weekends off as today
  • 28 days’ notice of rest days and duties on cover weeks – these rest days are guaranteed
  • Staff will work within their own Cover Group – occasionally working at adjacent Cover Groups
  • Higher Duty Pay from day one where someone steps up to fill another role for an entire shift
  • A review within 12 months to ensure resources keep up with rising customer demand
  • Negotiations on Stations Framework including new transfer and promotion process
  • Within Location Matters, part time staff will maintain their existing shift patterns and hours

 

Plus, a £500 non-consolidated payment to all station staff once the new operating model is introduced.

 

Night Tube

 

We will minimise the impact of Night Tube on our people, e.g.

 

  • Recruiting more staff to take on Night Tube duties – c.500 hired to date
  • No existing CSA will need to work Night Tube shifts
  • Providing choice on roster patterns and options for further banked rest days, Track & Signals and Service Control
  • No existing Train Operator will need to work Night Tube shifts, unless they choose to do so

 

Plus, a £500 non-consolidated launch payment to all staff on Night Tube lines and an equivalent launch payment for staff when Night Tube is introduced on other lines in the future.

 

Long term commitments

 

We will work with the Trade Unions over the next 12 months to jointly deliver, where safe and mutually beneficial:

 

More choice for staff to enhance work/life balance including:

 

  • A compressed working week (e.g. a four day, 36 hour week)
  • A range of part time contracts where these do not already exist
  • Protecting quality time off, e.g. Weekends
  • More opportunities for progression and development

 

A Reps meeting took place on Tuesday 1st December to discuss this offer and this matter has now been considered by the General Grades Committee, which has noted that the overwhelming mood from the meeting was to reject the latest pay offer from London Underground. The GGC has taken the decision for the Lead Officer to seek a further meeting with LUL and report back to the GGC on Thursday 10th December 2015.

 

I will of course keep you advised of all further developments.

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Withdrawal of Rest Days, Track & Civils Staff – Tube Lines (AP JNP)

Following the Tube Lines decision to withdraw the Rest Days from new starters and existing staff that transfer to new job, the Operational Track staff across the Northern, Pic and Jubilee are to be balloted for action

The papers will be posted out to members on Thursday 10th December and the closing date for the ballot is Thursday 7th January 2016.

Vote YES to action and NO to cuts to our work life balance

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LUL Pay

RMT EXECUTIVE TO CONSIDER NEXT STEPS OVER PAY AND NIGHT TUBE FOLLOWING MEETING OF REPS

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

 

“Today was the first opportunity for RMT reps to come together to consider the revised offer on Night Tube and pay and conditions received from London Underground last week.

 

“The feedback from the meeting is that the offer has not matched up to the expectations of our members across the combine and falls short in a number of key areas. That feedback will now be considered by the unions executive committee who will make decisions on the next steps that RMT will  follow over the Night Tube and pay and conditions issues.

 

“External attempts to apply pressure on RMT’s internal democracy and processes will have no impact on our procedures whatsoever.”

 

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Long Service Awards

The Branch will be welcoming members due a long service award on Friday 4th of December at the Savoy Tup. If you are due a 10/ 25 or 40 badge, then you would have been contacted earlier in the year pending the venue being confirmed. If you were unaware, contact your local rep for help.

The awards themselves will be posted out on Monday

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Tube Lines Pay, Night Tube and Pensions

All issues to be discussed at the Company Council on 3rd December

Pay/ PRP: Talks are stalled as Tube Lines, despite stating their independence, remain tied to the same offer that is being offered to LUL staff. The RMT await an improved final offer from Tube Lines that will no doubt mirror identically the offer made to LUL staff last week. We will then make a decision whether this is acceptable or whether we are in dispute. The RMT will ensure that any pay offer is equally applied to the Performance Related Pay (PRP) Pot for staff on full PRP

Pension: Despite being close to an agreement, LUL have put the entry of all Tube Lines staff into the TFL Pension and their TUPE back into LUL on a slow track whilst they try to reach agreement on London Underground regarding Night Tube. The RMT will not allow this issue to be dragged on any longer. LUL need now to be more proactive and finalise an agreement that could easily have been completed nearly a year ago

Night Tube: The RMT are refusing to discuss this until Tube Lines/ LUL return to the table and put finalise the agreement to enter staff into the TfL Pension and Tupe the remaining staff into LUL

 

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LUL Pay & Night Tube: Reps Meeting

RATES OF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2015 AND NIGHT TUBE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

RMT has just received confirmation from LUL that they have agreed to release all Industrial and H&S Representatives to attend a special dispute resolution meeting next Tuesday 1st December 2015.

Full details of the meeting now follow:

 

Mass Meeting of RMT Representatives – Dispute Resolution

Commencing 14.00 hours sharp on Tuesday 1st December 2015

The Indian YMCA

41 Fitzroy Square, London, UK W1T 6AQ

SPEAKERS

Mick Cash – General Secretary

Steve Hedley Assistant General Secretary

John Leach – Regional Organiser

John Reid – RMT Council of Executives   

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Blacklisting

  1. Women activists win major breakthrough in undercover policing scandal

The Met Police have apologised publicly to the women activists who were deceived into long term relationships with undercover police officers. Until now the police would ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’ whether the men involved were even police officers. The apology is a major breakthrough and should be read by everybody on the ‘Spies Out of Lives’ website. The apology from the Met Police to the women activists should set the tone for the kind of apology blacklisted workers should expect from the construction employers.

The institutional sexism of the police and the detail of the abuse will be investigated fully by the Pitchford Inquiry into Undercover policing of which the women are all ‘core participants’. The fight by these women activists against the might of the British secret state is heroic. They are an inspiration to our movement and the Blacklist Support Group are honoured to have worked alongside the campaign. Helen Steel and other women activists also appear on the construction industry blacklist. We are immensely proud of you all.

https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/text-of-apology-from-met-police/

https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/individual-statements-from-women/

http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2015/11/23/police-apology-for-relationships-where-next/

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/20/met-police-apologise-women-had-relationships-with-undercover-officers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34875197

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/scotland-yard-apologises-to-seven-women-over-abusive-and-manipulative-relationships-with-undercover-a6742116.html

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-0daf-Good-apology,-now-what-about-the-blacklist

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/met-police-apology-must-now-mean-justice-for-blacklisted-workers/

 

  1. Day of Action on Blacklisting – Monday 7th December 2015

9am – High Court blacklisting group litigation (meet outside the Royal Courts of Justice for photo-opportunity)

6pm – Westminster Parliament – with John McDonnell MP

9pm – Xmas celebration drinks

This is the first legal hearing since the employers admitted their guilt and apologised for their role in the Economic League and Consulting Association blacklisting scandal. Bring your banners and your ‘Blacklisted’ t-shirts

https://www.facebook.com/events/971447779578159/

 

  1. Scotland

Following our recent meeting in the Scottish parliament – there have been major articles in the quality press:

http://m.heraldscotland.com/news/14095349.Demands_for_Scottish_Government_to_set_up_inquiry_into_undercover_police_operations/

 

  1. Corporate & state spying on union activists in USA

http://usuncut.com/news/walmart-execs-working-with-lockheed-martin-and-fbi/

 

  1. Construction industry

Teesside PayTheRate protest comes to Liverpool http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-city-centre-protest-over-10475809

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-city-centre-traffic-fears-10473206#ICID

Umbrella Scam – http://www.ucatt.org.uk/construction-workers-face-wage-loss-following-umbrella-company-expenses-ban

Sickness – http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-db29-Lack-of-sick-pay-forcing-builders-to-clock-on-ill

 

  1. Victimisation of CWU union reps Clive Walder and John Vasey

Support them on social media via #ReinstateCliveandJohn #SupportCWU2

 

  1. Don’t forget that ‘Blacklisted’ book makes a great Xmas prezzie for all the family (apparently)

http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/

 

 

Blacklist Support Group

book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70

blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/

 

 

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TfL PENSION FUND – NON PENSIONABLE PAY AWARDS

TfL PENSION FUND – NON PENSIONABLE PAY AWARDS

 

The following resolution has been received from the TfL No.1 Branch:

 

“TfL No. 1 Branch are concerned that as a result of TfL/LUL managements decision to award certain layers of staff with pay for performance pay increases, union members are seeing their future pension benefits eroded.

 

We request that the General Secretary carries out a proper investigation into this position as a matter of urgency so that future pay and conditions negotiations see pay increases linked to basic pay and not awards of one off lump sum payments.

 

We also request that the General Secretary seeks legal opinion on this matter on the grounds that pay for performance can be legally challenged eg indirect age discrimination”

 

In consideration the General Grades Committee on 24th November 2015 adopted the following report from the Southern Sub Committee:

 

“We note the resolution on file from TfL No.1 Branch and its concerns that as a result of TfL/LUL managements decision to award certain layers of staff with pay for performance pay increases, union members are seeing their future pension benefits eroded.

 

We instruct the General Secretary to carry out a proposer investigation into this position as a matter of urgency so that future pay and conditions negotiations see pay increases linked to basic pay and not awards of one of lump sum payments.

 

We also instruct the General Secretary to seek legal opinion on this matter on the grounds that pay for performance can be legally challenged eg. Indirect age discrimination etc.

 

Relevant Branch and LTRC to be informed.”

 

I will keep you informed of developments.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Mick Cash

General Secretary

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