Category: LUL

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RMT to ballot LUL Pway Staff

The LUEngineering Branch will be discussing whether to ballot all Permanent Way staff over management’s decision to start to mentor Cleshar’s staff to undertake T001 Patrolling at tonight’s branch meeting. In what can only be seen as a pointless exercise and a total waste of tax payer’s money, LUL have waited months since they trained these staff to now, all of a sudden, start to mentor them.

Originally, management had hoped to use these people to help break any strike action over Night Tube. Now it can only be seen as an obvious attempt to undermine the job security, promotional prospects and the ability of staff to work overtime. Furthermore, this is a fundamental breach of our agreements reached at functional council over the use of non-Line based patrol staff.

Questions have already been raised as to why LUL would decide to use these provocative steps at a time when they are stating they are looking to recruit. We believe our members will see this as an act of treachery and we again call on LUL to drawer back from this futile gesture and sit down with the RMT and agree a sensible approach to patrolling and how staff are rostered to be available

 

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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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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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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

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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

 

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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.

 

 

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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

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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.”

 

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RMT confirms driver strike vote on Piccadilly Line

RMT confirms driver strike vote on Piccadilly Line over comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations

 

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it is to ballot nearly 400 train operators across the Piccadilly Line for both strike action and action short of a strike over a comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations combining a range of issues. The ballot will open on 6th October and close on the 20th October.

 

The Piccadilly is the fourth busiest line on the London Underground network transporting an average of 600,000 passengers a day and services London’s Heathrow airport – the busiest airport in Europe.

 

The issues at the heart of the dispute involving the train operators include:

 

SPAD Management

 

Breaches of the agreed SPAD management processes. Issues of weak brakes on certain rolling stock units have not been taken into account in recent investigations with union members left facing spurious disciplinary procedures because of faulty rolling stock and because the Safety Critical errors procedure has not been fully adhered to.

 

Breaches of the Machinery of Negotiation

 

A number of local agreements are repeatedly ignored by a management which is instead intent on imposing unacceptable working practices on members.

 

Attendance Management

 

Members are targeted as a result of breaches of LUL’s attendance management policies, including the application of an arbitrary capability/rainbow attendance management scheme that is not incorporated into any of LUL’s policies and not written down. This is leading to members who are fit and at work being called into meetings where they are threatened with attendance improvement targets, which if not met may result in their termination of employment from LUL. The whole attendance process is flawed, agreed processes are ignored and requests for machinery meetings to address these issues have been refused.

 

Discipline at Work

 

A number of union members are currently subject to spurious disciplinary action, outside of the agreed disciplinary processes. The union is clear that the harsh and unjust treatment of members on the Piccadilly line amounts to a campaign of bullying, harassment and intimidation which is completely unacceptable.

 

Cockfosters Depot

 

A number of issues regarding the opening of Cockfosters Depot, including the familiarisation process and link & duty schedule issues are the subject of a failure to agree and remain unresolved due to unsatisfactory progress made during negotiations.

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

 

“The wholesale abuse of procedures and agreements by management on the Piccadilly Line is rife and amounts to the development of a campaign of bullying, harassment and intimidation that the union will not allow to continue.

 

“The combined weight of these issues has built up to a comprehensive and fundamental collapse in industrial relations that the company have done nothing to address leaving RMT with no option but to ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike.

 

“The union remains available for talks.”

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LUL Night Tube and Pay Talks Update

The RMT and the other sister unions are returning to Acas on the 6th October for further talks with LUL. The talks mainly surround outstanding issues with service control and train drivers and the introduction of night tube.

The outstanding issue of the yearly pay rise is also due to be discussed as soon as night tube is finalised

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RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2015 AND NIGHT RUNNING – LONDON UNDERGROUND

 

OFFICIAL CIRCULAR

 

TO ALL BRANCHES AND REPRESENTATIVES

ALL UNDERGROUND AND FORMER LT EMPLOYERS

 

 

 

23rd September 2015                                                          Circular No IR/224/15

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

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

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/211/15, 3rd September 2015), the General Grades Committee has taken the decision to keep this issue under review and has reiterated that we are still in dispute and will reinstate industrial action if and when necessary if our just demands on pay and Night Tube are not met.

 

I will keep you informed of all further developments.

 

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

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/211/15, 3rd September 2015), the General Grades Committee has taken the decision to keep this issue under review and has reiterated that we are still in dispute and will reinstate industrial action if and when necessary if our just demands are not met. Also, to launch a political campaign in tandem with the London Transport Regional Council and to seek a meeting with our Parliamentary Group to seek backing to reopen ticket offices and to reinstate lost jobs. We will be seeking support from candidates in the 2016 GLA and London Mayoral elections that they will pledge to reopen ticket offices and reinstate lost jobs on the Underground.

 

I will keep you informed of all further developments.

 

RE-GRADING OF WATERLOO & CITY LINE SERVICE CONTROL STAFF – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/2/2)

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/200/15, 20th August 2015) the ballot concluded with members’ voting as follows:-

 

Are you prepared to take strike action?

 

Total Votes Cast                3

Number Voting ‘Yes’           3

Number Voting ‘No’            0

Spoilt Papers                     0

 

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

 

Total Votes Cast                3

Number Voting ‘Yes’           3

Number Voting ‘No’            0

Spoilt Papers                     0

 

Having considered correspondence on file from our Lead Officer and Central Line East Branch Secretary after discussions with affected members, the General Grades Committee has taken the decision to call on all Waterloo & City Line Service Control members to take further strike action by NOT BOOKING ON for any shifts that commence between:-

 

  • 21:00 hours on Monday 28th September 2015 until 23:00 hours on Wednesday 30th September 2015.

 

LUL management must be clear by now on our legitimate and reasonable demand for re-grading and I have recently re-iterated that we will not accept an offer which is based on a change in members’ duties or which would cause a detriment to other members. Although LUL has declined our request for arbitration at ACAS, they are aware that as always we remain available for talks to resolve the dispute.

 

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

 

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

 

Further to my previous Circular (IR/211/15, 3rd September 2015), a report has been received from the Lead Officer who has discussed the issues with our DLR Branch Secretary and written to Keolis Amey Docklands to seek an urgent meeting with a view to resolving the serious issues at hand.

 

This matter has been considered by the General Grades Committee, which has instructed me to place the matter back before them when the Lead Officer has received a reply from KAD. I will of course keep you advised of all further developments.

 

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash

General Secretary

 

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Night Tube Suspension

Mick Cash RMT General Secretary

 

“RMT welcomes this move which is what we have been calling for ever since we went into dispute over the Night Tube issue. We warned repeatedly that it would be dangerous and foolish to press ahead with bodged Night Tube plans until the very basics in terms of staffing and safety had been agreed with the unions through the long-established frameworks.

 

“This move by TFL proves that our members were right to strike and were right to warn the public about the consequences of the mad rush to introduce the Mayor’s Night Tube plans without agreement.  The fact that the plans have now been suspended indefinitely to some vague date “in the autumn” is clearly a massive embarrassment to both Boris Johnson and George Osborne but gives us an opportunity to now get the basics that should have been sorted months ago worked out through direct negotiation.

 

“In the meantime, our action scheduled for early September remains on.”

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