Category: LUL

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Latest RMT Circular

Dear Colleagues,

 

DISCIPLINARY/SPAD PROCEDURE, SHUNTERS – TUBE LINES AP JNP (LUL/4/4)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/133/16, 5th May 2016), members will recall the resolution from LU Fleet Branch concerning unjustified disciplinary action taken against members at Northfields Depot after a shunting incident where a signal was passed at danger. The Lead Officer raised our concerns with the Company and a meeting took place between our Reps and local management at Northfields Depot where management admitted that the investigations seem not to have got all the evident that was available.

 

So far, one appeal has taken place but no decision has yet been given and members are not confident that the issue will be resolved through this channel. The National Executive Committee has considered the correspondence on file and taken the decision to proceed with a ballot for industrial action. I am currently acting in accordance with this decision and will keep you advised of all further developments.

 

EVERY JOB MATTERS – DEFENDING JOBS ON LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/5)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/144/16, 19th May 2016), the following resolution has been received from Bakerloo Branch:-

 

“This Branch notes:

 

  • The hugely detrimental effect of the “Fit for the Future” programme on our members’ working lives, including through a severe impact on work/life balance.
  • LU’s plans for similar restructuring projects in other areas and functions, including trains.
  • That four Branches – Central Line West, Central Line East, Hammersmith & City Line and Piccadilly and District West – have submitted resolutions to the NEC calling for new disputes and industrial action ballots on stations.

 

This Branch further notes and welcomes the NEC member’s announcement that the Union will relaunch an all-grades campaign against cuts, including by circulating a broadsheet briefing to all members.

 

This Branch resolves to add our voice to the call for new ballots, which we hope will follow swiftly on from the launch of the new campaign. To send this motion to the NEC.”

 

The National Executive Committee has noted the resolution and taken the decision to prepare a ballot matrix for stations and revenue members and also to organise a Reps meeting of these grades to discuss industrial action. I am currently acting in accordance with this decision and will keep you advised of all further developments.

 

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

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/051, 3rd March 2016), the following resolution has been received from Central Line East Branch:-

 

“This Branch intends to defend our Train Operators in our area who are threatened with being unjustly displaced to other depots around the combine in breach of the Pay and Night Tube dispute settlement.

 

We believe that members’ work-life balance must be maintained at the very least and should be improved wherever possible. The detriment to our members is unacceptable, adding over ten hours to their weekly travelling time to and from work.

 

We call on the Union to take urgent and all necessary action (strikes and action short of strike) if these threats are not removed completely”.

 

The National Executive Committee has noted the resolution and taken the decision to organise a meeting of our Train Grades Reps to discuss the matters raised in the resolution and to action a response. I am currently acting in accordance with this decision and will keep you advised of all further developments.

 

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Cleshar's Patrolling Dispute Settled

Following lengthy talks, LUL and the RMT have reached an agreement that will see an end to Cleshars employed staff undertaking patrolling and the work will again revert to fully trained LUL staff.

This dispute was ensuring long term job security for our members in LUL and this has been achieved. It was also not about worker against worker and LUL have also stated that staff with T001 qualifications that apply for any future vacancies will likely be employed as has been the case already. However, we can also not allow a race to the bottom to exist that will drag all worker’s down.

The RMT’s long term aim is ALL staff working on LUL are employed by LUL to ensure decent pay and conditions. It also allows staff to fully work safely without any fear of repercussions. End the contracting companies and keep the workers

The full agreement is below.

Track Patrolling Cleshars Staff Dispute Resolution Agreement

  1. This agreement does not form part of any night tube agreement and the BCV nights track staff will be party to any further additional enhancements should they exceed those agreed in sections 6 and 7 below.
  1. Cleshars staff will not be trained or assessed for patrolling from the date of this agreement.
  1. During the period up to 31st Dec 2016 a pool of Track Operatives will be identified and trained to T001 to cover any shortfall of Skilled Ops on HGW.
  1. RMT agree for rosters to be changed to Monday to Friday for Bakerloo Line Track Nights staff and Sunday to Thursday for Victoria and Central Line track staff. The existing B&V roster will be ended. The rosters will change from no sooner than 1st week of June with the date to be agreed as soon as practicable
  1. Staff who do not wish to change to the appropriate roster for their line will be required to specify a location of their preference and volunteers sought there to swap shifts. However if no volunteers are forthcoming these staff will be required to transfer (or swap) to the nearest gang vacancy that can accommodate their existing working pattern.
  1. Existing B&V Nights track staff (i.e. those in post at 4th April 2016) who currently work a roster that attracts 7 banked rest days will retain their seven additional rest days for 2016. From Jan 2017 that will reduce to 4 days each year.

These rest days:

  • will not be contractual in the event of retirement or leaving the company
  • must be taken throughout the year and cannot be carried over
  • will be retained by these staff if promoted to other operational grades that operate the same roster pattern within B&V track nights
  • do not require the staff to work any additional rostered time over 35hrs/week to generate them

 

  1. From the implementation of the new rosters the existing B&V Track Inspectors and Section Inspection Managers (i.e. those in post at 4th April 2016) who work permanent nights will receive 2 rest days for 2016. From 2017 this will increase to 4 days each year.

 

The conditions associated with these rest days are the same as those attached to 6 a) to d) above.

 

 

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Tube Lines Pay/ Night Tube & Pension Update

Tube Lines Pay/ Night Tube & Pension Update

RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash, met with senior LUL Managers at Acas last week and had an open and honest discussion on how this dispute affected our members.

A full report was given to our Tube Lines Reps on Friday and it was decided to agree short term talks to resolve the issue of the Tube Lines pay deal not being the same as that offered to LUL staff and allowing all TLL staff entry to the TFL Pension.

It was agreed with LUL to extend the date required to name strike dates by four weeks (the maximum allowable under the Law) to allow for more talks to be concluded.

The reps were clear that they was looking for progress and that this matter needed resolving. Their patience was at an end

 

Pay and Night Tube and Pensions 10062016

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Tube Overcrowding Projections

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said;

“These projections are truly terrifying and require urgent action if we are to avoid a lethal cocktail of gridlock and extreme passenger danger right across the tube network.  Stations and platforms are already being closed on a routine basis on the quiet and those emergency measures are set to become commonplace.

“Anyone who has used major hubs like Kings Cross, Victoria and Oxford Circus at peak times knows that capacity on trains, platforms and escalators is already at breaking point and it is simply pure luck that there hasn’t been a major disaster. The risks to passengers at the Platform/Train interface are growing by the day.

“Axing station staff jobs against this background is criminally irresponsible and RMT ‎is calling on the new Mayor Sadiq Khan to reverse the cuts and to instruct his officials to start taking the union safety warnings seriously.

“These surging passenger numbers are compromising safety on both tube and mainline rail services and hacking back on safety-critical staff represents a lethal gamble by those calling the shots. Those cuts must be reversed before we have a major tragedy on our hands. ”

 

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Latest LUL Circular 26th May 2016

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, NIGHT RUNNING AND PENSIONS – TUBE LINES AP JNP (LUL/0001/TL)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/133/16, 5th May 2016), the ballot has concluded with members voting as follows:-

 

Question: Are you prepared to take strike action?

 

Total Votes Cast…              610

Number Voting ‘Yes’…         524

Number Voting ‘No’…          86

Spoilt Papers…                   0

 

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

 

Total Votes Cast…              610

Number Voting ‘Yes’…         584

Number Voting ‘No’…          26

Spoilt Papers…                   0

 

This matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee and a meeting has been arranged between the Lead Officer, Reps and NEC Member within the next 7 days to discuss the result and to decide on industrial action. I will keep Branches informed of all further developments.

 

DISCIPLINARY, GLEN HART – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/4/4)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/043/16, 25th February 2016), I am pleased to report that following a further meeting with London Underground and discussions with the Lead Officer and Reps, Brother Glen Hart has accepted a proposal from LUL for his return to work. This matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee, which has noted the correspondence on file and that Glen Hart will be returning to his grade and his workplace after 20 months of being suspended for trade union related activity.

 

This successful outcome has been achieved due to the resolve of Glen himself and the actions of all LUL grades who were balloted and took industrial action to defend Bro. Glen Hart. All those who supported Glen, including our Branches nationally and the wider Labour movement should be applauded and I wish to take this opportunity to thank our Lead Officer, Reps and all members for returning Bro. Glen Hart to work.

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LUL Night Tube

Following the announcement of the start of Night Tube, General Secretary Mick Cash said; “There are major unresolved issues in relation to the Tube Lines engineering workforce and it is imperative that the company now moves quickly to address the points at the core of that dispute and reaches a proper negotiated settlement with the union that doesn’t leave that essential group of workers disadvantaged on conditions and pensions.

“RMT also still has major concerns over the safe running of the Night Tube and there are unresolved issues on the detailed safety case that will have to be agreed through the Health and Safety machinery. Against a background of massive cuts over shadowing TFL budgets all parties have to be clear that Night Tube, a development that RMT supports, cannot be delivered on the cheap.”

 

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Glen Hart Dispute

Dear RMT members

 

I am pleased to advise you that we have some good news with regards to Brother Glen Hart. I have received a letter from  LUL that Glen , myself and NEC member John Reid are happy with.

 

Shortly Glen will be able  to return to his normal duties in his job at work.

 

This is great news for Glen, the union and all of us. Justice and common sense has prevailed.

 

Thanks and in solidarity

 

John Leach

RMT Regional Organiser

London Transport region 11

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LUL Signals: Night Tube

Following talks at Acas, LUL agreed that staff would not be compelled and could stay on their existing rosters. In CPD it was stated that there would be no impact.

In recent weeks management have been asking staff to sign preference sheets to see if they will volunteer to change rosters to Sunday to Thursday working.

The RMT have always stated that they believed this was a fruitless activity. That our members have stated ‘why would they change shifts?’ and ‘what is in it for us?’

The reality is nothing and the preferences have gone back to management largely stating staff wish to stay as they are.

LUL are now looking to use signal staff across all lines so that they are fully utilised on a Friday Night. Apart from being a logistical nightmare, the reality is staff must be competent to work on other signalling systems and that does not mean just hold a license, but also means training, familiarisation etc etc etc. There is also the requirements defined in the AWC Procedure

 

AWC procedure

 

We will be meeting LUL again in a few weeks and will be stating the obvious, that if you want people to volunteer, then you need to offer them a reason to. We will update our members following the meeting at the 2nd June

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RMT to take Lilliebridge Fight to the Mayor

Raise Lillie Bridge Depot Closure Concerns with New London Mayor Sadiq Khan

Our branch wants the matter of the planned closure of Lillie Bridge Depot and provision of appropriate an alternative location to be raised with the New London Mayor Sadiq Khan as and when proposed talks between the Mayor and the RMT take place

Beginning this year notice has been given to our departments Track Delivery Unit, Maintenance Infrastructure Services, Track Manufacturing Department, Material Management Department (Stores), Transplant, Fleet Maintenance, District Line Trains and Plant Services at Lillie Bridge Depot that we are required to vacate the depot by 2019.

The services undertaken in and from Lillie Bridge Depot are highly specialist and are vital to the operation of maintenance, Capital Programmes project work and the daily running of the tube.

Sections such as the Track Manufacturing Department also have operational requirements for specialist machinery which can not readily be located elsewhere.

The livelihood and continued work of all affected RMT members is under a most severe threat due to previous conservative Party London Mayor Boris Johnson’s wish to wrap up the Capco/TfL luxury housing development deal for the super-rich between Earl’s Court, West Kensington and West Brompton at the expense of local tenants, residents and the jobs of our RMT members affected by the accompanying demolition of Lillie Bridge Depot.

For all these reasons the RMT should impress on the new London Mayor that the ill advised and expensive proposal to continue with this development should be rejected.

Previous talks at LU Company Council level in September 2013 aimed at averting a dispute were successful and ended in an agreement that the Beaumont Ave end of the depot would be opened up to allow works traffic in and out during the Lillie Rd development, and that LU/TfL would consult the RMT properly and in good time as and when the TfL/Capco development plans progressed to affect the depot again.

LU are again failing to consult properly; and as a consequence RMT are in dispute and balloting our members at Lillie Bridge Depot.

RMT believe that the London Mayor should end the proposal to develop the depot; short of that the  Reps and members and this Branch will not be satisfied until we have:

  1. An agreement signed off at the highest LU/TfL level setting out an acceptable location for us all to move to.
  2. An agreement signed off at the highest LU/TfL level that all the finances needed to fund the move plus any building etc at the new location is agreed to be made available.

 

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TfL PENSION FUND – SUSPENSION OF TRANSFERS-IN

TfL PENSION FUND – SUSPENSION OF TRANSFERS-IN

I refer to my previous Circular NP/076/14, 11th April 2014, the RMT has been informed that the suspension of transfers-in from external pension sources has now ended. This will mean that from 1st April 2016 members of the TfL Pension Fund who have deferred (frozen) pension benefits are now able to consider transferring them into the TfL Pension Fund to buy extra pension benefits.

While the decision to transfer rests entirely with the individual member this is good news that members will again have this option.

The suspension began following the TfL Pension Fund 2009 Triennial Actuarial Valuation due to the increasing deficit and was agreed by the trustee following a request from the sponsoring employer. However, following the 2015 valuation the employer has not requested that the suspension continues.

You will recall that the RMT campaigned to get this suspension lifted from its implementation in 2009 and in 2013/14 this union collected over 200 signatures from TfL Pension Fund members which forced an “Extraordinary General Meeting” of the TfL Pension Fund which was held on 25th April 2014 to discuss this issue.

This union and its representatives have been proactive in trying to get the suspension lifted and without such pressure pension fund members may not have had the opportunity to enjoy this benefit again.

The National Executive Committee in consideration adopted the following report on 19th May 2016:

“We note that the suspension of transfers-in ended in March 2016. While it is a decision for members of the fund to decide whether or not to transfer benefits from external sources into the TfL Pension Fund, the fact that individuals now have this option is welcomed.

 It is further noted that RMT representatives and members forced an Extraordinary General Meeting of TfL Pension Fund in April 2014 to discuss this union’s opposition to the suspension of transfers-in. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to contact our members across LUL/TfL thanking them for their support on this important issue.

 Branches, Representatives & all Underground and Former LT Employers to be informed.”

 It is important that members who are considering transferring pension benefits into the TfL Pension Fund seek Independent Financial advice before doing so. The RMT are unable to offer such advice.

For further information regarding transferring-in please contact the TfL Pension Fund at:

TfL Pension Fund

Wing over Station

55 Broadway

London SW1H 0BD

Phone 020 7918 3733

 

www.tfl.gov.uk/pensionfund

I will keep you informed of developments.

Yours sincerely,

Mick Cash

General Secretary

 

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Working in a possession – May 2016

The Secretary

LONDON TRANSPORT REGIONAL COUNCIL

LU ENGINEERING BRANCH

Dear Colleague

 LUL SECTION 15 POSSESSIONS

Further to Head Office Circular NP/077/16, 1st March 2016, this matter has again been considered by the National Executive Committee. Discussions with the company have been continuing to our representatives satisfaction. The National Executive Committee carried the following resolution:

We note the report on file from the Lead Officer which sates that good progress has been made in the safe system of work in a possession. We further note that agreement of this document will be used to create a training programme so we therefore instruct the General Secretary to inform LU that we accept the document on safe access and working in possessions.

 However more work needs to be done on how possessions themselves are created so we therefore remain in dispute until this matter is resolved.

 Relevant Branch and LTRC to be informed.

I shall keep you informed of progress with this case. Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash

General Secretary

www.rmt.org.uk/healthandsafety

 

Working in a possession 3 – May 2016 Final Draft

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Working in Possessions: Code of Practice

Following discussions on safety on the track with regards to the Section 15 dispute, it was recognised that there was issues on how safe management of staff working in a Possession was undertaken. To this end our health and safety reps on LUL and Tube Lines have been working with management to produce the following final draft ‘Working in Possessions: Code of Practice’.

 

Working in a possession 3 – May 2016 Final Draft

 

This document is now being reviewed by the RMT National Executive and if they accept it, this will then be used to produce the detailed training that staff will need to be safe at work.

The RMT will then start to negotiate on how Possessions are created and maintained (Section 15 of the Rule Book) and our dispute still remains live with plenty of work to do before we can be fully satisfied that our members are safe when working on the Track.

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