Author: Paul

Posted on

KILL THE BILL: PROTECT THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

KILL THE BILL: PROTECT THE RIGHT TO STRIKE – TUC MASS RALLY and LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT – 2nd NOVEMBER 2015

 

BRING FLAGS, BANNERS AND PEOPLE FOR A HUGE RMT TURN OUT.

 

All south of England Branches are urged to do everything within their capability to ensure a maximum turn out for the mass rally and lobby of Parliament that will take place on MONDAY 2nd November 2015 from 11.30

 

Branches can legitimately use their Branch Political funds to ensure this so please start acting now.

 

The rally will take place in Westminster Central Hall prior to the lobby. Members are encouraged to join the TUC and other union members from all over the country by coming together to lobby and rally against the Trade Union Bill.

 

The Trade Union Bill is a massive attack on trade unionists across Britain, but particularly in sectors such as transport.

 

To register for more information prior to the event please visit: https://secure.goingtowork.org.uk/page/s/lobby-your-mp

 

It is vitally important that members make every effort to attend this lobby, and to encourage family, friends and colleagues to attend. We need to show the Government how strongly we value our trade union rights and that we are prepared to fight their proposals.

 

We will see your there. Best wishes until then.

 

Yours sincerely

John Leach, Paul Cox and Steve Smart

REGIONAL ORGANISERS

 

Posted on

ex-UKPN Referendum

The members that work in Power (ex-UKPN) have voted by nearly 3:1 to accept LUL’s final offer. Ths agreement will now be put to the RMT’s General Grades Committee

The agreement in summary means that existing staff can retain their present terms if they wish or accept a new LUL contract.

The main differences are

35 hour week: LUL contracts mean that staff will go down to a 35 hour week from an average of 40-37 hours. This will be done without loss of non-allowance basic pay

Fixed Allowances: These will be incorporated into the salary and will be pensionable (in some cases they were not previously)

New Salaries: These have been generally set at the top of the existing bands with some grades seeing increases in pensionable pay

Non-Fixed Allowances: These will not continue. However, LUL have agreed to pay £10 for each full shift worked for Protection Master/ Site Person in Charge (track and non-track locations)

Overtime Rate: The LUL rate is 1.25 which is lower than UKPN rates (1.5/ 2x). However, the LUL hourly rate is higher therefore the difference is lower but it is still less on LUL contracts. It should be noted that Overtime is expected to reduce.

Paydays: LUL paydays are four weekly and not monthly or weekly.

Supplementary Days: These will be phased out over two years due to the reduction in hours Year 1 will still get 10 days and year 2 will get 5

Full details below:

 

WS Grade Proposal Tables v6 20 10 15

 

Power Framework

 

Posted on

ex-UKPN Staff: LUL Final Offer

Following months of talks with LUL we are now in a position whereby LUL have made the below final offer to our members.

  • The new Framework will be for NEW staff or for existing staff that choose to take a new grade or accept the new contract
  • All existing staff can remain under their existing terms and conditions, if they so choose. I stress people do not have to go onto new contracts.
  • The LUL contracts will be for 35 hours only. Existing UKPN work an average 37-40 hour week and gain accrued rest days. LUL have agreed that staff that accept new contracts and reduced hours will continue to receive these accrued rest days but that they will be phased out over the next two years.
  • The new contracts will retain the same basic salary and not be pro-rata’d for the reduced hours
  • Fixed allowances are to be included into the basic salary and will be pensionable, such as London Weighting etc.
  • Non-Fixed Allowances such as meal allowances will not be incorporated into the salary in the LUL contracts and will no longer continue for those staff.
  • LUL will pay the Protection Master (PM) and Site Person in Charge (SPC) Allowance for track and non-track locations (£10 a shift making a potential £2500 a year if worked daily)
  • The LUL overtime rate is a flat 1.25 compared to the variable UKPN rates, but the basic rate of pay will be higher. It is expected that overtime will fall with the additional recruitment and cuts to budget.

 

For full details please see below

 

Power Framework

 

WS Grade Proposal Tables v6 20 10 15

 

LUL have agreed to review these times with the RMT. This work is ongoing

 

Booking On Times

 

The below agreement is the LUL agreement for paying Protection Master (PM) and Site Person in Charge (SPC)

 

SPC PM Paynment JWP Proposal 4Jul11

 

We will now be putting the final offer to our members via a referendum. To either accept the agreement (including remaining on their own terms) or reject the offer in which case we would ballot our members to try to force the company into more concessions

Posted on

Section 15: LUL Possessions

LUL have now moved to imposed Section 15 Possessions and have now implemented this change into the latest Traffic Circular despite talks still being ongoing on this matter.

The RMT have demanded urgent talks to address this matter as we believe that this change is not only dangerous but also potentially lethal.

We will not sit by and see our members hit by a train and the LUL Engineering Branch is currently compiling a matrix of all track workers across all companies to potentially ballot for action short of strike and even strike action if needed.

 

 

Posted on

Handheld Devices: LUL

The RMT have reached agreement on track and signals regarding the use of Hand Held devices. After months of careful discussions the RMT have made sure that members can use the devices without fear of job losses, their privacy being invaded and also benefit from the fact that they are safe

 

Mobile Devices Agreement Oct 2015

Posted on

Blacklisting: High Court latest

  1. High Court latest

The blacklisting firms have admitted ‘vicarious liability’ for the role of their managers in blacklisting. But they still refuse to admit that their conspiracy caused the workers they targeted any financial loss. So we are still full steam ahead for a 10 week conspiracy trial at the High Court next May. The next pre-hearing will take place on 7th-8th December. Blacklist Support Group will be organising a public meeting on the evening of Monday 7th December (venue tba)

 

https://usilive.org/no-sports-cars-just-yet-where-now-for-blacklisted-workers/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06fp8tj/look-north-east-yorkshire-and-lincolnshire-08102015

http://irishpost.co.uk/construction-companies-admissions-only-part-of-the-battle-for-justice-for-blacklisted-workers/

http://socialistworker.co.uk/art/41464/Victory+as+blacklisting+firms+run+up+the+white+flag

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/targeted-workers-could-be-in-line-for-damages-1-7507265

http://www.durabilityanddesign.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=13889

 

  1. Trade Union Bill

The Trade Union Bill which intends to restrict the freedoms of trade unions is currently in the committee stage and a number of organisations have given evidence highlighting how it breaches international law. Blacklist Support Group gave evidence alongside Amnesty International and the human rights organisation Liberty.

https://youtu.be/WvOnlsGWQj0 (this is the punchline)

http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/6b437a7a-ff4c-4ef1-a2a2-07fb6de07227 (full evidence starts around 15:03)

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-9375-50-and-you-wouldnt-be-here

 

Monday 2nd November TUC Demo & Mass lobby of Westminster parliament 12:30 onwards

https://www.tuc.org.uk/

 

There are 100s of Trade Union Bill meetings taking place around the country – we encourage all supporters to attend and join the campaign to Kill The Bill. Cambridge Trades Council who are hosting TU Bill 21st October. 7pm – 9pm at Keynes Hall, University of Cambridge.

 

  1. Ongoing issues

BAM win £170 million rail upgrade in Scotland

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/news/bam-deliver-%C2%A3170m-aberdeen-inverness-rail-upgrade

 

Pay The Rate in Teesside – police target protesters

http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/gmb-protest-over-police-intimidation

 

Carillion in Liverpool

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/over-100-people-down-blacklisting-10234416

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2015/09/08/liverpool-launches-construction-charter/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p033c5dk (BBC Radio 1:54:30)

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/second-blacklist-protest-held-royal-10231733

 

  1. Blacklisting & Art currently wowing audiences in Peckham and New York

 

Ragged Trousered Philanthropists in Peckham – Dave Smith will be speaking about blacklisting on Tuesday 20th October

https://www.facebook.com/ragged.trousered.philanthropists

 

United We Stand – story of the Shrewsbury Pickets in Peckham – multiple celebrity nights from 2-14 November

http://www.townsendproductions.org.uk/home

 

Mark Thomas brings his award winning human rights show to New York. Blacklisted by the construction giants, spied on by BAE systems and placed on the Met Police domestic extremism database. Spread the word to our US comrades. If any NY unions or journos want to contact Mark while he is in the US, get in touch to arrange.

http://www.59e59.org/moreinfo.php?showid=223

 

  1. Charlie Pottins R.I.P.

The funeral of our comrade and friend, Charlie Pottins will take place at 1pm on WEDNESDAY 21st OCTOBER, at Northwood Cemetery, Chestnut Avenue, Northwood, HA6 1DE. Charlie was an active trade unionists and a stood shoulder to shoulder with blacklisted workers over many years on protests, picket lines and in court.

Nearest tube: Northwood Hills (Metropolitan Line)

  1. Future dates for the diary

Wed 4th November (6pm) – Blacklisted book event in Holyrood parliament

Saturday 7th November – Socialism 2015, Institute of Education (blacklisting will be covered in the ‘Big Brother is watching you’ workshop.

http://socialism2015.socialistparty.org.uk/

Saturday 14th November – Unite the Resistance – Defend Our Unions conference (Blackisting & Teesside #PayTheRate coovered).

http://uniteresist.org/2015/08/unite-the-resistance-conference-2015/

 

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

Website Update & future APP

Just to update you all that our branch website has now been migrated onto a new software package that should help us to continue to update the look of our site. We have also commissioned an APP to be developed to take our communication ability to another level. The APP will be ready in approximately January.

Posted on

DECEMBER 2014 COLLAPSE OF CITY LINK –

DECEMBER 2014 COLLAPSE OF CITY LINK –

PROSECUTION OF THREE DIRECTORS FOR FAILING TO CONSULT

 

In November, three directors of logistics firm City Link (including the CEO and finance director) are before the courts over their failure to consult with workers. If convicted, they face fines and the prospect of being struck off from working as directors elsewhere.

 

The prosecution is taking place partly as a result of tireless campaigning and forensic investigation by RMT and our Parliamentary Group – keeping the issue in the media and unearthing information about what directors knew and decided when.

 

That the company could not be rescued, was not helped by the directors failing to be more open about their plans earlier. We now know, that although staff were not notified until Christmas 2014 of the impending closure of City Link, as early as 9 October, directors were considering radical restructure – including closing down the company.

 

Under TULR(C)A 1992 an employer must consult about its “proposals” – this being something less than a decision – and must consult while its plans are still at a formative stage. Despite representatives of the company receiving legal advice on the need to consult, the company chose not to. It is for the courts to assess the directors’ role in that failure.

 

Although the conduct of some of the directors finally being scrutinised by the courts is welcome, the potential fines that they face (capped at £5,000 each) are paltry. This is specially so as the CEO was paid over £600,000 – in the year to 29 December 2013 alone.

 

It’s inexcusable that individual workers labelled as self-employed (maybe bogusly) will likely recover less than 2% of sums due. And it’s inexcusable that the state has had to pay out around £4 million (via the National Insurance Fund) to workers the company short-changed.

 

We will continue to campaign for justice for our members and for the law to be tightened.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Posted on

Night Tube Delay

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

 

“This crisis management of the Night Tube could have been avoided if LU hadn’t chosen to try and railroad through imposed rosters and had stuck to the agreed negotiating framework from the off.

 

“No one wins from this situation – neither Londoners or tube staff. RMT supports the principle of a Night Tube with properly agreed reward and rosters and the union remains available for further constructive talks.

 

“RMT is frankly astounded that Boris Johnson has rung his officials from Japan and instructed them to kick the night tube into next year. RMT is seeking further urgent talks at the most senior level to get this process back on track.”

 

Posted on

RMT on criminal prosecution of City Link directors

RMT Press Office

 

Mick Cash, General Secretary of City Link union RMT said;

 

 

“RMT demanded at the time of the City Link collapse that these directors should be prosecuted and barred from ever running a company again.

 

“They connived to get workers to do overtime over Christmas and for self-employed people to do shifts that they knew they would never be paid for.

 

” This was bandit capitalism in the raw and should have no place in British industry. Instead of twisting the knife with a new raft of anti union laws the Government should be clamping down on those who treat the workforce like dirt. ”

 

Posted on

NATIONAL retired members’ ADVISORY CONFERENCE 2016

 

Circular No: NP/200/15

TO: The Secretary,

All Retired Members’ Branches and Regional Councils

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

NATIONAL retired members’ ADVISORY CONFERENCE 2016

 

Arrangements have been made for the 2016 National Retired Members Advisory Conference to take place on Thursday 21st April, commencing at 13:00 in the Concert Room, Doncaster Trades & Labour Club, Doncaster.

Nominations

 

The Advisory Conference consists of a maximum of four delegates per Region. Retired Branches, or where applicable Regional Councils, are invited to nominate retired members as delegates. Four nomination forms are enclosed herewith.

 

Nominations are also sought for the National Advisory Conference Liaison Committee which consisting of two delegates per Retired Member Branch, or where applicable Regional Council. Two nomination forms are enclosed.

 

Please also find a nomination form for internal conference positions and external committees.

 

The closing date for receipt of nominations at Head Office is Friday 11th March 2016. Head Office will meet delegates’ legitimate travel and subsistence expenses but only with valid receipts.

 

May I please bring to your attention to Rule 4 of the National Retired Members Advisory Conference Constitution:

 

“Each Retired Members Branch shall have the right to nominate four delegates, who shall be retired members or have been resettled under ill health or PT&R.

 

In the event of a Regional Council having more than one Retired Members Branch, two nominees from each Branch shall be permitted, subject to a maximum of four nominees per Regional Council.

 

A Regional Council which does not have a Retired Members Branch may, if it so wishes, nominate four delegates.”

 

Therefore only Retired Member Branches or a Regional Council without a retired member branch can nominate delegates to the Conference and Liaison Committee. Nomination forms received which are not supported by a Retired Members Branch or a Regional Council will not be accepted.

 

I would therefore advice branches in a region which does not have a Retired Members Branch to go through the appropriate Regional Council to ensure retired members can attend the conference and Liaison Committee.

 

Resolutions

 

I would also take this opportunity to seek resolutions for inclusion on the Conference Agenda. Resolutions, which must deal with issues directly relating to pensioners, should also reach Head Office by Friday 11th March 2016.

 

The Conference is entitled to submit two resolutions, which must deal with issues directly affecting pensioners, to the Union’s Annual General Meetings. Two representatives of the Advisory Conference may attend the Annual General Meeting to move the resolutions.

 

Accommodation

 

As you will be aware the Retired Members Conference was moved from London to Doncaster as a result of the increasing number of delegates attending this event. This has inconvenienced some delegates who have to travel a great distance. It has been agreed that accommodation in Doncaster will be offered on a limited basis to those delegates who have a genuine problems with travelling.

 

If a delegate meets the above and requires one nights’ accommodation can they please indicate this on the Conference Nomination Form.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Mick Cash

General Secretary

 

 

 

 

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