Author: Paul

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DLR Strike

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“Our members on DLR are rock solid in their action this morning and I want to pay tribute to their unity and determination as they fight to defend safe operational practices and the basic principles of ‎workplace justice.

“Pickets have been out in force and it’s now time for Keolis Amey to recognise the sheer strength of feeling on the shop floor and to get round the table for meaningful talks that address the raft of serious issues at the heart of this dispute.

“The disruption caused by the shutdown of DLR this morning is entirely down to the intransigence of the KAD management and now it’s time for them to stop the posturing and start talking. “

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Section 15 – A Disaster Waiting To Happen!

LU management have imposed a new rule, section 15 possession protection, which removes the requirement to book out with the Track Access Controller and allows the Service Controller to implement protection in a planned possession in engineering hours.

Although management state that consultation was completed with the trade unions, this is untrue. Consultation of any sort only happened when your RMT Track & Signals H&S representatives forced management to get round the table.

Consultation had not been exhausted and management reneged on the Terms of Reference which had jointly been agreed between the RMT and management. A review of the so called “trials” was still in discussion, when management went and stopped any further review workshops.

The RMT believes these so called “trials” were a farce, which did not even meet the success criteria laid out in the DRACCT documentation. Possession plans were inaccurate, the risk assessment was “historical” and not updated, and many safety incidents were reported within these “trials”. Even a basic request from the RMT reps, to see evidence of staff working within the trial sites were correctly certificated, could not be adequately supplied by management.

Contradictions run throughout this procedure. We believe this will add confusion and lead to serious safety breaches. Longstanding principles of avoiding staff carrying out unrelated activities when engineers trains/mechanised vehicles are working, are ripped up! One example,train movements between worksites and possessions, will happen if so called “planned”. How this will be controlled on the ground is kept vague.

The RMT are constantly calling for management to get back round the table (via the unfinished workshops and then to a joint safety forum), so that we can find a safer solution. Management have refused our requests up to now and we are left with no other option but to prepare to ballot, for action short of strike, all LU and JNP members who work on or about the track.

UNITY IS STRENGTH!

SAFETY BEFORE PROFIT!

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Blacklisting News

  1. Blacklist event at Scottish parliament

6pm Wednesday 4th November

Holyrood parliament building (please get there early as it takes time to get past security).

Speakers: Neil Findlay MSP, Dave Smith (BSG), Jackson Cullinane (UNITE)

Everyone welcome but please contact Jackson.cullinane@unitetheunion.org as soon as possible in order get your name down.

 

Daytime ‘Blacklisted’ book event:

1pm, Wednesday, 4 November at Word Power Books 

43-45 West Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9DB
http://www.word-power.co.uk

 

  1. Pitchford public inquiry

Blacklist Support Group and many individuals on the Consulting Association blacklist have been granted core participant status within the Pitchford inquiry into undercover policing. There is now a specific category within the public inquiry.

Reel News video talking to people who were targeted by the undercover police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8GsY7yM3F8

Full list of core participants: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/151021-UCPI-list-of-core-participants.pdf

http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2015/10/24/conrad-landin/blacklisting-and-undercover-policing/

http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/

http://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/

 

 

  1. Blacklisting at the High Court in December

The next date for the High Court case management hearings is 7-8 December 2015 at Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand.

This is the first court appearance since the major firms admitted their guilt and apologised for their involvement in the Economic League and the Consulting Association. We are yet to hear what the remaining contractors involved in blacklisting decide to do. The biggest construction companies in the UK are falling out with each other and scrambling to protect their corporate brand. On our side, all the legal teams representing the blacklisted workers are united in our desire to see real justice. Blacklist Support Group (BSG) publicly state our desire to continue all the way to the High Court trial. We want to see the directors who orchestrated this unlawful conspiracy give evidence under oath about their human rights violations.

BSG want to make Monday 7th December a big one. It is the first High Court session since the firms have admitted their guilt and we hope to generate some publicity for the campaign. Come with your Blacklisted t-shirts.

 

Monday 7th December

9am – assemble outside the High Court

10am – 4pm – High Court blacklisting trial case management hearing

 

6pm BSG parliamentary meeting (all welcome)

Speakers include: John McDonnell MP (shadow chancellor), John Hendy QC, Chris Stephens MP (SNP trade union spokesperson) and many blacklisted workers.

 

9pm – Pre-Xmas celebratory drinks

 

  1. Michael Meacher R.I.P.

Graham Bowker, blacklisted electrician and constituent of Michael Meacher commented on behalf of the Blacklist Support Group :

“Michael Meacher was a respectful gentleman who put in endless work on behalf of all blacklisted workers since 2004, long before the Consulting Association database was discovered. It was picketlines in Manchester that led to the scandal being exposed and Michael supported us throughout, later raising the issue in parliament, on his blog and was a keynote speaker at the Blacklist Support Group AGM in March 2013. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Michael’s family and close friends at this sad time”.

Obituary from Morning Star: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-2273-The-Michael-Meacher-I-knew-was-a-giant-of-our-movement-and-friend#.Vi5FP37hDs0

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-2190-Tributes-pour-in-for-leftwinger-Meacher#.Vi5FUX7hDs0

Michael Meacher at BSG AGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jZegxaljmM

 

 

  1. Carillion admit guilt, apologise and then chase blacklisted worker for legal costs

https://usilive.org/blood-money-blacklisted-worker-stunned-by-legal-bill/

http://www.4-traders.com/CARILLION-PLC-9590144/news/Carillion–Sorry-but-Dave-must-pay-Pounds-35k–INVESTIGATES-21242233/

http://www.hazards.org/blacklistblog/

The story also made the Daily Mirror thanks to Andrew Penman and  Private Eye.

 

 

  1. Ex-senior police officer who attended Consulting Association meetings has the front to criticise John McDonnell in the press. Blacklisted workers stand shoulder to shoulder with John McDonnell.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/exterror-cop-corbyn-allys-smears-have-put-me-and-my-family-in-danger-a3100071.html

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e345-McDonnell-defended-after-attack-in-the-press

To hear a retired senior police officer who actually attended the blacklisting meetings claim that his future career prospects have been harmed because an MP raised the issue somewhat sticks in the throat of the thousands of honest hard working construction workers who were denied employment over decades by this illegal conspiracy.

Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Mills was the liaison officer for the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU), a police unit tasked with spying on organisations such as CND, trade unions, leftwing journalists as well as activists within environmental and animal rights campaigns. In his official role, DCI Mills attended and gave a Powerpoint presentation at a meeting of an organisation called The Consulting Association. The Consulting Association is the secret body responsible for the illegal blacklisting of 3213 trade union and environmental activists by major construction firms and the audience at the 2008 meeting included senior managers from the following companies: Vinci, AMEC, Skanska, Costain, Sir Robert McAlpine, Emcor, and Sias Building Services. The protest DCI Gordon Mills was so upset about was organised by the GMB and amounted to 6 trade unionists carrying flags and someone dressed up in a furry crocodile suit (photo attached).

 

 

  1. Dates for the diary

Fri 30th October – Benefit gig at Kings Arms in Salford – all proceeds to campaigns against fascism http://kingsarmssalford.com/?id=9#10/30/2015

 

Mon 2nd Nov – Trade Union Bill – TUC mass lobby of Westminster parliament (12 noon onwards)

 

2nd – 14th Nov – United We Stand – the story of the Shrewsbury Pickets at Bussey Building, Peckham, tickets £12 (£10 concessions). http://www.townsendproductions.org.uk/productions/united-we-stand

 

Wed 4th Nov – Holyrood blacklist 6pm meeting & Edinburgh lunchtime 1pm meeting

 

Sat 7th Nov – National construction rank & file meeting – Newcastle Labour Club (12-3pm) – all construction workers welcome

Sat 7th Nov – Socialism 2015, Institute of Education (blacklisting in the ‘Big Brother is watching you’ workshop). http://socialism2015.socialistparty.org.uk/

Saturday 14th November – Unite the Resistance – Defend Our Unions (Blackisting & Teesside #PayTheRate) http://uniteresist.org/2015/08/unite-the-resistance-conference-2015/

15th November – 6th December – Film maker Lucy Parker Blacklist exhibition in Edinburgh http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1451e9af82bc98b746394f078&id=8ee7960ca1&e=d1d86825e4

 

 

  1. Ongoing victimisation & blacklisting

Reinstate Sandy Nicholl, SOAS Unison Branch Secretary

https://www.change.org/p/reinstate-victimised-soas-unison-branch-secretary-sandy-nicoll?recruiter=20790863&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-reason_msg

 

Glen Hart, RMT rep victimised by London Undergraound for his TU activities

http://www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/content/glen-hart-targeted-london-underground-trade-union-activities

 

Peel Ports Liverpool

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/row-over-peel-ports-construction-10340532

 

Pay The Rate camapign at Wilton Complex in Teesside is now in its 8th month – follow by searching #PayTheRate on social media.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/13879741.Unions_claim__quot_police_intimidation_quot__of_Pay_the_Rate_protesters_on_Teesside/

 

BSG activists at Dismaland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSY8oYqV4k8

 

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/blacklisted-birth-letter-langston-hughes

 

  1. Appeal from Reel News

The Reel News collective are an integral part of the Blacklist Support Group campaign, they have been with us for many years and their photos & videos have spread the story around the world. Reel News are currently running an appeal to allow them to carry on their work with the trade unions, environmental campaigns and refugees. We urge all our supporters (especially union branches) to donate to the appeal or better still take out an annual subscription to Reel News.

http://reelnews.co.uk/donationssubscriptions/

 

 

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/

 

 

Posted on

RMT MEETINGS & CONFERENCES 2016

MEETINGS & CONFERENCES 2016

 

Statutory Meetings of the National Executive Committee Unity House

Weeks commencing – March; June; September and December (tbc)

 

February

Signalling Grades Conference                                                                        20th – 21st                    Perth

RMT National Health & Safety Conference                                      24th                              Doncaster

RMT Young Members’ Conference                                                   26th – 27th                    Canterbury

Catering & Hotel Grades Conference                                               27th                              Weymouth

 

March

RMT National Women’s Conference                                                 4th – 5th (tbc)              Scarborough (tbc)

BTUC Women’s Conference                                                              9th – 11th                    London

Supervisory Grades Conference                                                        12th – 13th                   Great Yarmouth

RMT Black & Ethnic Minority Members Conference                                    21st – 22nd (tbc)            Manchester (tbc)

RMT National Education Conference                                               23rd (tbc)                      Doncaster

 

April

Busworkers’ Conference                                                                    8th                              Torquay

BTUC Young Workers’ Conference                                                   9th – 10th                   London

Traincrew & Shunters Grades Conference                                        14th – 16th                    Liverpool

BTUC Black Workers’ Conference                                                   15th – 17th                    London

Scottish TUC                                                                                      18th – 20th                    Dundee

RMT Retired Members’ Conference                                                 21st                              Doncaster

Engineering Grades Conference                                                        21st – 22nd                    Brighton

Station Staff & Associated Grades Conference                                  22nd – 23rd                   Warwick

Road Freight Grades Conference                                                      23rd                              Portsmouth

 

May

RMT BGM (Shipping & Docks)                                                          11th – 13th                    Dover

RMT National LGBT Members’ Conference                                                13th – 14th (tbc)            Nottingham (tbc)

RMT BGM (Offshore)                                                                                    18th – 19th                    Aberdeen

BTUC Disabled Workers Conference                                              19th – 20th                    London

Wales TUC Biennial Conference                                                      24th – 26th                    Llandudno

 

June
RMT National Conference of Branch &
Regional Council Secretaries                                                               5th – 6th                      Gloucester

BTUC LGBT Conference                                                                   23rd – 24th                    London
RMT Annual General Meeting                                                           26th –   1st                    Cardiff

September
BTUC                                                                                                  11th – 14th                    Brighton
—————–

RMT Disabled Workers Conference                                                      tbc                               tbc

Posted on

RMT confirms 48 hour DLR strike

RMT confirms 48 hour DLR strike from tomorrow morning is on as talks fail to make any progress

 

 

RAIL UNION RMT said today that staff across all grades on Keolis Amey Docklands Light Railway will strike for 48 hours from early tomorrow after last ditch talks failed to make any progress this morning. The dispute is over a range of serious unresolved issues that are wrecking industrial relations.

 

Talks on Friday and this morning with KAD failed as management refused to address the core issues of use of agency staff, imposition without agreement of fundamental changes to the control centre managing movement and power, abuse of procedures and the adoption of a wholly cavalier attitude to the issues of risk assessment and the safety and security of both staff and the travelling public.

 

RMT members voted by a massive 92% to act and will now take 48 hours of strike action with no shifts booked on or after 0359  on Tuesday 3rd November until 0358 on the Thursday 5th November 2015.

 

The key issues at the heart of the dispute are:

 

  • Abuses of the use of agency staff  within the KAD network.
  • Undermining the position of Control Centre, stores and other grades effectively casualising key functions
  • A creeping culture of bullying and intimidation of staff, including an abuse of the use of CCTV,  being allowed to develop
  • Breaches of agreements, procedures and the recognition framework

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT negotiators have made every effort over the past 72 hours to resolve this dispute through negotiation but due to the sheer intransigence of the management the DLR will now face its first ever all-out strike action in the 28 years history of the railway. The responsibility for the massive disruption that will kick in from early tomorrow morning is entirely down to the aggressive and bullying attitude of the new KAD management who don’t seem to understand the basic principles of industrial relations.

“Our members on DLR are furious at the way that Keolis/Amey are trying to bulldoze through some of the worst working practices and conditions that we associate with the operations of the most cheapskate and anti-union companies in the transport sector and that anger is reflected in the ballot results. We will not sit back and allow this aggressive and bullying culture to develop on this key part of London’s transport network.

“The company should not have underestimated the anger of the workforce and KAD’s abject failure to address these issues which left us with no option but to ballot for action and that ballot registered a massive 92% in favour.

“The 48 hour strike now goes ahead as planned.  The union remains available for further meaningful talks.”

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Thales Rail Signals: Debt Issue

Following an audit of overtime approximately a year ago, it transpired that many staff owed money through being over paid and some owed many thousands of pounds.

The RMT have been in talks with Thales Rail Signals ever since and the company have offered the below compromise

 

Thales RSS Debt

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Glen Hart

The union has one over riding belief that at the end of a dispute no one is left behind.

Once again RMT activist, Glen Hart finds himself with a gross misconduct charge hanging over him. This sword of Damocles exists purely, we belief, because Glen has been key in defending job and supporting the LUL strike.

There can only be one reply to this, and that is to meet each industrial attack with an industrial response. Come for us and we will come for you.

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Tube Lines PRP

The LU Engineering Branch has passed the below resolution that now has gone to the RMT General Grades Commitee to review

 

Tube Lines General Pay Award (PRP) Resolution:

 

This branch reiterates that we will fully support our members on full Performance Related Pay (PRP) which also includes many Operational Managers (Q Grades), Technical and Admin Grades (the same Grades remain on part PRP within LUL). We therefore ask the General Grades Cmtee to ensure our negotiating team continue to equally push the claims of these members and that a report and letter is sent to ALL our Tube Lines members detailing not only this issue but why pay talks have stuttered and the RMT are in dispute with Tube Lines over Pay.”

 

Posted on

LUL Update

Dear Colleagues,

 

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2015 AND NIGHT RUNNING – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/0001)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/224/15, 23rd September 2015), regarding the above, I am writing to provide an update to members following recent meetings that have taken place and correspondence which has now been received from LUL. No specific revised pay offer has been made yet however, the Company has provided clarification on one part of the current proposal and has stated that it has no objection to any grade working a compressed 36 hour 4 day week as long as it is safe and mutually beneficial.

 

The General Grades Committee has considered this matter and taken the decision to conduct a referendum amongst our Train Operator and Instructor Operator members on whether or not they wish us to look at potentially changing the parameters in their Framework Agreement in order to hold further discussions over a trial of a compressed 36 hour 4 day week at two depots. To reiterate, this is not a referendum on any specific offer or package and as well as being temporary and only applicable for the duration of any trial at the two depots, any changes would only apply to members who choose/volunteer to take part in any trial.

 

There is also the potential that 36 hour 4 day week trials will take place for all grades across London Underground in the future and all members would be consulted, including voting in the event of any necessary changes to their Framework Agreement. Further talks will continue in due course and we have advised LUL and ACAS that we are available at any time. I will keep you advised of all further developments and when any final offer is received from the Company, all members will of course be consulted and have the opportunity to vote on the proposals.

 

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

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/236/15, 1st October 2015), the ballot has concluded with members voting as follows:-

 

Question: Are you prepared to take strike action?

 

Total Votes Cast                171

Number Voting ‘Yes’           123

Number Voting ‘No’            48

Spoilt Papers                     0

 

Question: Are you prepared to take action short of a strike?

 

Total Votes Cast                171

Number Voting ‘Yes’           145

Number Voting ‘No’            25

Spoilt Papers                     1

 

The General Grades Committee is currently considering this result and I will keep you informed of all further developments.

 

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

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/236/15, 1st October 2015), the ballot has concluded with members voting as follows:-

 

Question: Are you prepared to take strike action?

 

Total Votes Cast                339

Number Voting ‘Yes’           315

Number Voting ‘No’            24

Spoilt Papers                     0

 

Question: Are you prepared to take action short of a strike?

 

Total Votes Cast                339

Number Voting ‘Yes’           320

Number Voting ‘No’            16

Spoilt Papers                     3

 

The General Grades Committee is currently considering this result and I will keep you informed of all further developments.

 

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – INTERSERVE (LUL SSL/BCV CONTRACT) (LUL/14/2)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/211/15, 3rd September 2015), the Lead Officer and our Reps held a meeting with Interserve over the cuts in cleaning jobs on this contract. The Company advised that a number of positions will be cut but that all reductions will be made up wholly of agency staff.

 

This matter has been considered by the General Grades Committee, which has noted that Interserve are planning job cuts and ‘efficiency’ measures and taken the decision to launch a major campaign to build our membership of cleaning staff grades working for Interserve so that we can resist these attacks. I am currently acting in accordance with this decision.

 

Yours sincerely

Posted on

Colas Rail Pension Valuation

Num: NP/211/15

To: The Secretary All Branches & Regional Councils

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

COLAS RAIL SECTION OF THE RAILWAYS PENSION SCHEME – 2013 ACTUARIAL VALUATION

 

I refer to Circular NP/050/15, 25th March 2015, our representatives met with management on 11th September to discuss the Colas Rail Pension Scheme proposal. It was made clear by the RMT once again to management that the employer was mainly responsible for the large deficit in the scheme and that they had a duty to help make the fund affordable for members.

 

While management were reluctant to accept they were responsible for the shortfall they did agree that they would consider taking some of the deficit correction payments away from members of the scheme. However, it was unlikely that member contribution would be below 20%.

 

It was also suggested by the RMT that a cap on member contributions should be introduced to protect active member from seeing their contributions becoming unaffordable in the future.

 

Management agreed they would go away and consider the RMT’s proposals and respond accordingly.

 

Please find below managements amended proposal:

 

  • Member contribution to increase from 15.68% to 20.68% minus salary sacrifice savings 18.5% approximately

 

  • Employer contributions to remain at 23.52% but Colas Rail to make 12 lump sum payments of £1.7m pa

 

  • Member deficit correction contributions to be capped at a maximum of 11%

 

The General Grades Committee in consideration of this proposal on 20th October 2015 adopted the following report:

 

“We note that that following a meeting with RMT representatives’ on 11th September, management have formally proposed to cap member’s future deficit correction payments. This will result in the employer making additional lump sum payments into the fund to reduce the shortfall now and in the future.

 

While it is noted that the member contribution rate will be in the region of 18.5%, it is recognised that before the discussions with our representatives the member contribution rate was set to increase from 15.68% to 35.8%.

 

These proposals can be found on file with the enhanced Defined Contribution scheme management have also proposed in the event members are unable to afford the contribution rate mentioned above. It is noted that the employer is also offering financial advice for members.

 

In light of the progress our representatives have made we instruct the General Secretary to inform management of our acceptance of their revised proposals.

 

Branches and Regional Councils to be informed.”

 

I will keep you informed of any developments.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Mick Cash

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