LUL Declares War on Engineering

LUL, have decided to wage a war against Engineering rather than deal with the underlying issues surrounding pay and night tube. These words might sound like harsh and mellow dramatic words however the facts speak for themselves.

So what have LUL planned to do that is so confrontational?

Training Cleshars staff to undertake Track Patrolling
Looking to Network Rail to undertake Cable Linesman work
Getting contracting companies to undertake Signalling Work. With some contractors arriving for work in a Porsche to highlight the pay they are receiving.
Changing the Rules to eliminate or reduce the need for internal staff to carry out certain roles such as possessions
Wholesale outsourcing of core work
Wholesale ignoring of the CMO Roster Agreement and Track Agreement on Rostered Rest Days

CMO Roster Agreement

Following a full discussion at our branch last night, it was decided that the only way to stand up to a bully is to fight back. And fight back we will. The following resolution was carried unanimously last night and will now go to our Union Executive to discuss and potentially agree the strategy to fight back and win

Emergency Resolution: LUL Strike ‘This branch notes and supports the work done to maintain inter-union unity to produce a stunning strike action that resulted in a total LUL shutdown by our GGC Member and Regional Organiser. This branch wishes for this Unity to be maintained and further all grades action is coordinated with our sister unions.

We also note that LUL are attacking our members over the issue of non-working of overtime. This includes long term threats to the job security of track, signals and power and electrical members through rule changes and outsourcing of work.

To confront this we request the GGC remove the overtime ban in Operational Areas covered by this branch. We however request that the following action is brought forward:

Tactical overtime ban action aimed at ending the large weekend engineering works
Instruction to our assessors and trainers to refuse to train and assess outside staff to take our work
Liaise with Network Rail members to refuse to work on LUL infrastructure
Members are reminded to follow the Rules in totality and to take their meal breaks.
Full strike action up to three day period, again aimed at maximising the disruption to Engineering and Maintenance Works across LUL.

This branch also believes that any dispute settlement should include

The removal of the threat to rewrite the Rule Book and contract out our work whether, it is signals work to Kelly Rail, Power and Electrical Work to Network Rail and Track Patrolling to Cleshars (or any other contractors).
A substantial pay rise at least to the level of the Network Rail settlement
Recognition of our right to a family life for now and future expansions of night tube. That should include working towards a 32 hour week. Sunday to Thursday staff moves to be voluntary. Rostered rest days to be protected and expanded. All agreements abided by including the CMO Roster Agreement. A substantial financial incentive for these changes and acceptable completion of all health and safety talks.’

July 15, 2015

RMT responds to new raft of anti-union laws

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“We know that these brutal new anti-union laws are specifically targeted at our members in the transport sector who have shown in recent months that they have the guts to stand up and fight for jobs, pay, services and safety. The response of this Government mirrors the actions of hard-right regimes throughout history – shackle the unions, criminalise it’s members and use a raft of new laws to try and bankrupt workers’ organisations.

“It is not lost on us that this legislation has been tabled just a few days before we celebrate the Tolpuddle Martyrs at their annual festival – a group of Dorset farm labourers criminalised and ‎exiled for daring to organise a union.

“The trade union movement will unite to fight this brutal assault on the most basic of human rights and that campaign will be taken into the communities who stand to lose access to safe and reliable services as this noose of the anti-union laws is twisted round our necks. ”

July 14, 2015

BRIGHTON PRIDE

TO: THE SECRETARY

BRANCHES & REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague,

BRIGHTON PRIDE – SATURDAY 1^ST AUGUST 2015

Please find enclosed a poster regarding RMT taking part in the Brighton Pride 25^th Anniversary Parade for display and circulation.

All family and friends are welcome to join the RMT group. Should you plan on attending please contact Roger Hackett so that t-shirts can be provided to everyone (Roger@freedomtolive2014@gmail.com)

RMT will also be supporting the following pride events: Plymouth 8^th August, Cardiff 15^th August and Glasgow 22 August. Please contact our Equal Opportunities Officer, Jess Webb (j.webb@rmt.org.uk) with any queries.

Yours sincerely,

Mick Cash

General Secretary

July 14, 2015

LUL: RMT confirms tube strike dates

RMT confirms tube strike dates

Tube union RMT confirmed that members across London Underground will be taking strike action from 1830 hours on Wednesday 5th August to 1829 hours on Thursday 6th August. The on-going overtime ban, which has already severely impacted on staff availability to run services, also continues.

The strike times for driver members will run slightly later, between 21.00 on 5^th August to 20.59 on 6^th August.

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“The unity and determination of staff across London Underground in the dispute ‎over night tube, the imposition of the rosters from hell and the destruction of any semblance of work/life balance remains rock solid. Workers in all grades are furious at the attempt to rip up long-standing agreements in an effort to bulldoze through these wholly unacceptable new working patterns.

“RMT also remains in dispute over the parallel issue of the axing of 850 station staff jobs, cuts which make a mockery of the safe delivery of the night tube in just a few weeks time.

“RMT remains available for talks and tube managers need to understand the universal anger of their staff if we are to start making some serious progress in negotiations. “

July 9, 2015

Tube Strike

RMT salutes tube workforce for solid, united and determined action and demands that LU return to serious negotiations.

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“RMT congratulates the 20,000 members of all four tube unions who have stood united, solid and determined today and who have shown the world that ‎you can stand and fight for workplace justice if you are organised and strong. They are a credit to the entire trade union movement.

The tube management need to take a long hard look at today’s shutdown and recognise that they have managed to alienate and anger their entire 20000 workforce across all grades with the way they have approached the issue of night running. Instead of macho, death-or-glory posturing over take-it-or-leave offers now is the time for serious and mature negotiations which address the issues at the heart of this dispute. We now expect that to happen as a matter of urgency.

Bulldozing through the new rosters without discussion and outside of the long-standing agreements was always a disaster waiting to happen. Of course staff feel angry that they are being bullied into accepting new patterns that would wreck work life balance. LU have to wake up and understand that grievance instead of pretending that it doesn’t exist.

“The company also need to remember that we remain in dispute with them over the parallel issue of 850 station staff jobs losses – job losses that would make a mockery of delivering passenger and staff safety on the night tube. The ball is now in firmly in LU’s court. “

July 9, 2015

Blacklisting: Pitchford Inquiry

MPs have called for the Pitchford inquiry into the failures of undercover policing to cover spying on trade unions. Teresa May is set to announce the full Terms of Reference for the Pitchford Inquiry next week. The full text of Early Day Motion #263 submitted by John McDonnell MP is below:

“That this House remains deeply concerned about the extent and conduct of undercover police surveillance and the use of covert human intelligence sources; deeply regrets the distress caused to women by undercover officers forming intimate relationships and even fathering children with them; is concerned that police surveillance extended to covert monitoring of anti-racist and family justice campaigns, together with other civil society and political groups; is shocked by the revelations of Peter Francis, former member of the Metropolitan Police Force’s Special Demonstration Squad, in relation to the unit’s covert state surveillance of trade unions and their members, including Unison, the Fire Brigades Union, the Communication Workers Union, the National Union of Teachers and the construction workers union UCATT; commends the ongoing campaign of the National Union of Journalists over the surveillance of union members; welcomes the inquiry to be conducted by Lord Justice Pitchford into covert police surveillance; and calls on the terms of reference of the inquiry to include an investigation into the practice of covert surveillance of lawful trade union activities”.

Link to EDM 263 http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2015-16/263

John McDonnell MP has been at the forefront of exposing the role of undercover police spying on and colluding with the blacklisting of trade unions. He commented:

““Thousands of innocent trade unionists and their families have suffered at the hands of blacklisting companies. They deserve a thorough and open inquiry to bring out the truth of how they were victimised and harmed by blacklisting.”

The Blacklist Support Group (BSG) has led the campaign to expose the role of the police spying colluding with blacklisting union members and has made a formal submission to the Home Office with suggested Terms of Reference for the Pitchford Inquiry into undercover policing, calling for the judge led inquiry to investigate police surveillance of trade union members. The Pitchford Inquiry was set up by Teresa May before the General Election following the revelations that undercover police units spied on the Stephen Lawrence family and had long term sexual relationships with women activists they were spying on. BSG are being legally represented by the prominent human rights solicitor Imran Khan, who has supported the blacklisted construction workers since presenting an IPCC complaint about the police collusion in blacklisting back in 2012. Imran Khan is also representing Doreen Lawrence in the Pitchford Inquiry.

Dave Smith, BSG secretary and co-author of the book ‘Blacklisted’ that exposes the blacklisting conspiracy commented:

“There are secret political police units in the UK that spy on anyone they consider to be a ‘domestic extremist’. In reality, that means trade unions, environmental activists, anti-racist campaigns and even the families of murder victims who dare to criticise the police, all of which are perfectly legal within a democratic society. The Pitchford inquiry must investigate why the police have been spying on trade unions and why they have been exchanging information with multinational companies. Any pressure put on by politicians and trade unions is extremely welcome. BSG applaud the EDM and call on all MPs concerned about human rights to sign it”.

Imran Khan commented:

“It is extremely sad to note that it often takes many years, grave injustices and tenacious individuals to uncover discreditable conduct in society. Those involved in the BSG have been bearing the brunt of severe injustices for a long time. Their hardship in doing so has not diminished their tenacity in seeking to throw light on this most murky of worlds. The Public Inquiry to be chaired by Lord Justice Pitchford will give the BSG the opportunity to not only uncover what happened to them but also ensure that the general public finally hears what went on and that the conduct complained of never happens again.”

Proposed Terms of Reference for the Public Inquiry into Undercover policing from the Blacklist Support Group:

“To inquire into and make recommendations as to the role, conduct and governance of the police service and her majesty’s Government in the establishment and deployment of undercover and covert operations, with specific regard to the Special Demonstration Squad, National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit and any other similar units in the police and in particular, to consider:

The surveillance of trade union activists and trade union supported campaigns;
The provision of information by the police, whether directly or indirectly, of information contained on databases they have access to, to businesses about prospective employees;
The collusion, specifically with the Economic League and the Consulting Association and any other similar organisations, in the blacklisting of trade union members;
The outsourcing of state surveillance operations to private contractors;
The level and degree of political oversight into the above operations;
The extent to which the police were assisted in the above operations by the security services;
The circumstances of, and the reasons for, the loss, destruction and /or unavailability of documentation with regard to the matters above.

The Inquiry will also consider how to fulfill the objectives set out in these Terms of Reference by considering, in particular, the:

Extent and degree of protection from prosecution, under the Official Secrets Act or any other relevant legislation, of any witnesses giving information / evidence including whistleblowers;
Extent and degree to which the police’s stated position of ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’ affects a transparent and thorough investigation into the matters set out above”.

Steve Hedley, Assistant General Secretary RMT, who was blacklisted by the Consulting Association and targeted by undercover Special Demonstration Squad officer Mark Jenner commented:

“The police and big business has spied on me and other union activists for decades, for nothing more than standing up for rights of our fellow workers. The undercover cop Mark Jenner targeted me for a number of years in the late 1990s and even stayed at my mum’s house! The sooner this anti-democratic scandal at the heart of the British state is exposed the better”.

July 9, 2015

LUL Strike

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“The strike action on London Underground is rock solid across all lines, all grades and all depots and the unity and solidarity of the entire workforce, which has now brought London to a standstill, must force the tube bosses back to the negotiating table to address the issues at the heart of this dispute.

“That means an end to the attempt to bulldoze through new working patterns that would wreck work/life balance and leave staff in safety critical jobs burnt out and stressed out at a time when tube services are facing unprecedented demand. We’ve wasted three months in negotiations that failed to address staff concerns and it’s essential for London that there’s no repeat of that fiasco and that puts the ball firmly in LU’s court this morning. ”

July 9, 2015

MPs condemn “disgraceful” treatment of tube worker

MPs condemn “disgraceful” treatment of tube workers and calls for Mayor to withdraw imposition of night working

London MP Jeremy Corbyn and other MPs have tabled a motion condemning the “disgraceful” treatment of tube workers and calling on the Mayor of London to withdraw the imposition of night working.

The motion notes that uncontrolled and unmanaged night work can have a serious impact on the physical and mental health and well-being of employees as well as a detrimental impact on family and social life with MPs saying they are

“appalled that the Mayor of London is imposing night working on tube workers without their agreement and is dismayed that tube workers who have only just recently been rightly lauded as some of the heroes of 7/7 are now being treated in such a disgraceful manner.”

The motion also expresses concern that the night tube “is being rushed in on the back of massive cuts to staffing and strains on the existing infrastructure, raising genuine concerns amongst the workforce that the safety and service to passengers and workers will be jeopardized.”

The motion calls for the Mayor to withdraw the imposition of night working on tube workers and instead seek agreement with their trade unions on proper and safe staffing levels and working arrangements.

July 9, 2015

RATES OF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2015 – NETWORK RAIL

Circular No IR/162/15

8^th July 2015

TO ALL BRANCHES, REGIONAL COUNCILS AND REGIONAL OFFICES

Dear Colleagues,

RATES OF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2015 – NETWORK RAIL

Further to my previous circular IR/153/15, 24^th June 2015, Branches will be aware that after many months in dispute, the latest offer from Network Rail has been accepted by members in a referendum. This dispute was ongoing for over 6 months and has demonstrated what can be achieved when members stand firm and are prepared to take strike action to fight for a fair deal on jobs and pay. This was the first national dispute since the Signallers’ strike in 1994 and the only time since privatisation where Operations and Maintenance staff have had their pay negotiated at the same time. For the benefit of branches I will summarise how we reached the final accepted agreement.

At our very first pay meeting towards the end of 2014, management stated from the outset that any increase for 2015 would have to be self-funded, i.e. members would have to sell terms and conditions in order to get anything at all. On top of that they offered the inferior CPI Inflation for the next three years and most importantly refused to extend their No Compulsory Redundancy Agreement which ran out at the end of 2014.

After we rejected any sort of productivity strings, Network Rail offered no increase whatsoever for 2015 and RPI for the next three years. Members massively rejected this offer by 95% in a referendum, so we entered into dispute and a ballot was called for strike action and action short of a strike. Members voted by a massive 80% in favour of strike action with a 60% turnout of all members, smashing the Government’s planned thresholds for union ballots.

Strike action was called for the end of May with a 24 hour strike and an overtime, additional hours and callouts ban put in place. Network Rail, under the extreme pressure from RMT members, who were rock solid in their support of the planned action, tabled a new proposal which resulted in the action being suspended. This offer was for a £500 one off lump sum for 2015, RPI for the next three years and a no compulsory Redundancy guarantee until the end of 2016. Following consultation with Area Council representatives the overwhelming view was that this offer was still not good enough so the proposal was rejected.

The GGC then called industrial action including a 24 hour and a 48 hour strike as well as an overtime, additional hours and callouts ban for the beginning of June. Once again the resolve of our Network Rail members was incredible and management were left in no doubt there would a total shutdown of the network if they didn’t come back with a major improvement. Talks held at ACAS resulted in an improved two year offer which was subsequently accepted by members in a referendum. The full details of the agreement is as outlined below: –

Pay

2015 – A 2% consolidated increase in basic rates of pay backdated to 1^st January 2015.

2016 – A consolidated increase equal to November 2015 RPI with effect from 1^st January 2016.

Redundancies

No compulsory redundancies for those members covered by this pay claim until 31^st December 2016.

Job Security

Network Rail and the Trades Unions will enter into discussion to agree a comprehensive job security package working within the principles of PTR&R, which includes:

Voluntary Severance (VS)

Extending VS to those not affected but who want to go, via “bumping”

Publication of a national Network Rail vacancy list

Re-training

Relocation

Trial-period opportunities

Efficiency and Improvement Project (Completely separate from pay discussions)

Separate to the pay proposals, under the auspices of ACAS, discussions will be held with Network Rail as part of an Efficiency and Improvement Project to deliver savings.

This will not affect members’ terms and conditions and these discussions have not held up the pay award. The General Grades Committee will consider any formal proposals that emerge and the affected members would be fully consulted in the normal way.

The issues proposed for discussion are as follows: –

Safe and efficient working practices and processes which identify methods to drive down incidents and accidents.
Examine opportunities to reduce labour-only, agency, sub-contract supplier and consultancy costs.
Joint review to create opportunities in our maintenance, operations and controllers teams to enable enhanced efficiency and improvements.
Develop a forum between Network Rail and RMT, TSSA and Unite as appropriate, to examine options for reducing waste from the business to enable further efficiencies to be made.
Creating single ‘point care’ teams.
Cross boundary working for response teams within Route for incidents and disruption.
Develop technology for placing of detonators and PLBs thus releasing staff for other work.
Train and deploy resident signallers to work adjacent mechanical signal boxes on a voluntary basis for an agreed premium.

Final proposals on implementation plans for any agreed changes would be delivered by 30^th November 2015.

The above agreement means members get two years of consolidated pay increases and a two year no compulsory redundancy guarantee. When you consider that at the start Network Rail were adamant that members would have to sell off terms and conditions in order to get a pay rise and refused to guarantee no redundancies, the solidarity of members and their support for the negotiating team clearly forced Network Rail to radically alter their position. At a time of major cost cutting and real uncertainty for members over jobs, this deal is a major achievement and I congratulate our Network Rail members for making this possible.

Talks will begin in the near future to discuss the Efficiency and Improvement Project under the auspices of ACAS. Branches will be kept fully informed of any proposals that arise from this project.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash

General Secretary

July 7, 2015

LUL Strike ON

General Secretary Mick Cash said

“Despite strenuous efforts by union negotiators to press London Underground to address the issues of fairness, safety, worklife balance and equality at the heart of this dispute they have come up with nothing in the talks this afternoon.

“The action is on and RMT will be mobilising picket lines and effective action with our sister unions and there are no further talks planned at this stage. ”

July 6, 2015

RMT to recommend rejection of "divisive and unacceptable" LU pay offer

6^th July 2015

IMMEDIATE

RMT to recommend rejection of “divisive and unacceptable” LU pay offer

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT has received the latest offer from London Underground during the ACAS talks today.

“Our representatives on London Underground have discussed it and are clear that it is divisive and unacceptable. While a small minority of staff are being offered a non-consolidated one-off lump sum the remainder of staff are ignored and the key issues of work/life balance and the personal health and safety concerns are side lined. The deal as it stands is financed off the back of the proposed axing of over 800 safety-critical station jobs and is deliberately constructed to play individuals off against each other in the most cynical fashion.

“RMT is a democratic organisation and the views of our reps on LU are being taken into account. There will be a meeting of the union executive tomorrow morning at which there will be a recommendation to reject the offer. As is normal in all industrial negotiations RMT will remain available for talks.”

July 2, 2015

Blacklisting

High Court

The next dates for the High Court group litigation is set for 14th July – it will be a very busy schedule covering disclosure of documents, destroyed evidence, expert witnesses etc.. If all items are not finished, the hearing will carry over into the 15th July.

Pitchford public inquiry into undercover policing

BSG have sent an official submission to the Home Office regarding the remit for the upcoming Pitchford Inquiry into undercover policing. We called for there to be a full investigation into undercover police infiltration of unions to spy on activists. Teresa May is expected to announce the full scope of the inquiry sometime in mid-July.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/undercover-with-paul-lewis-and-rob-evans/2015/jun/30/trade-unionists-call-for-public-inquiry-to-examine-claims-that-police-spied-on-them

http://rt.com/uk/270676-trade-unions-police-spying/

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-f936-MET-SILENT-ON-BLACKLIST-SPY#.VZUgYvlViko

Teeside #PayTheRate Protests

The ongoing SITA dispute in Teeside is still attracting 100s of workers to weekly early morning protests. Last week, scores of activists turned up unannounced at the Liverpool offices of the MRWA to press their point home. Keep up the good work brothers & sisters – you are leading the fightback against the attacks on our terms & conditions.

For more info and updates about the latest actions follow Teeside Construction Activists on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teesside-Construction-Activists/429641457200160?fref=nf

Blacklisting events – Dates for the Diary in July

Thu 2nd (6:30pm) – Defend Our Unions, ULU

Sat 4th (all day) – National Shop Stewards Conference – Conway Hall, Holborn

Thu 9th (6:30pm) – Blacklisted book event – Black Pig, Tunbridge Wells, Kent – with Helen Clifford

Fri 10th (5:30pm) – Durham Miners Gala Education 4 Action event – NUM Offices, Redhills – in association with People’s Bookshop

Sat 11th (2pm) – Blacklisted workers filmed discussion, London – in association with film maker Lucy Parker – please contact BSG ASAP if you are interested in attending.

Tue 14th (10am) – High Court blacklisting trial case management hearing

Tue 14th (6:30pm) – TUCG Tolpuddle Seminar – Jubilee Room, Houses of Parliament – with MPs & Gen Secs www.tucg.org.uk

Wed 15th (10am) – High Court day 2 (tbc)

Wed 15th (7pm) – Hackney TUC

Sat 18th – Tolpuddle Festival

Thu 23rd – Dave Smith arrest trial – City of London Magistrates Court

https://www.facebook.com/Education4ActionTheStruggleforJustice

http://englandevents.co.uk/durham-book-launch-dave-smiths-blacklisted-the-secret-war/303066

Get Carillion out of Liverpool

BSG are working with Spirit of Shankly supporters group in Liverpool FC about the contract given to blacklisting firm Carillion to redevelop the Anfield stadium.

BSG are also involved in ongoing meetings with Trust operating New Royal Liverpool Hospital that has also awarded a contract to Carillion.

Watch this space – this could get very big.

Blacklist Support Group at Glastonbury Festival

BSG were at Glastonbury Festival appearing at Leftfield stage, Speakers Forum in the Green Futures Field and the Reel News installation in Shangri-La. Phil Chamberlain, Tom Fowler, Martin Smith, Shaun Dey, Merrick Badger, Dave Smith were flying the flag. All the photos are on social media