Category: Strikes

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Tube Lines: Where's our Pay & Pension?

Tube Lines: Pay, Pensions and Night Tube

All three issues have now become intrinsically linked together. LUL/ Tube Lines want to state that the Pay cannot be settled without agreement to Night Tube. The RMT are saying that there will be no agreement to Night Tube unless the Company agree to entry into the TfL Pension Scheme for all. Throw into this complex web that LUL have now imposed Night Tube running on the Jubilee Line and are about to start on the Northern then matters are coming to a head.

So I think it is important to recap on where we are with each item.

Pay

Pay discussions stalled on the issue of the Company Offer differing from that given to LUL staff. All through the talks Tube Lines had stated it would be the same as LUL only for us to receive a final offer that was fundamentally different. Whilst the money was the same, there was none of the guarantees of no change of rosters, work life balance etc. Indeed it stated that staff would have to move to Sunday to Thursday and this had major impacts on our members. In LUL Engineering staff could stay Monday to Friday even on Night Tube Lines.

For clarity, we see no reason why implementation of the Pay rise cannot take place NOW. 

 

pay-night-tube-offer-rmt-05-02-16-1

 

2015-pay-agreement

 

This offer was therefore unacceptable and the Night Tube Sections needed to be altered to meet the aspirations of our membership

Night Tube

LUL have now implemented night tube on the Jubilee Line and are about to start it on the Northern. However, Tube Lines have agreed that no further implementation of Sunday to Thursday working will occur at this time. Your union have made it clear that if this position changes with regards to this then we will have no choice but to ask our executive to name strike action.

Also, some staff went Sunday to Thursday a while ago such as Track Staff and the company alleged that this was not linked to night tube. This obviously, is not the case and we are making sure that any agreement incorporates all staff and that these changes are very much part of our talks. We are also pushing that any staff wishing to be on a Monday to Friday roster should be able to transfer to LUL lines in equivalent grades. This would be on LUL terms and conditions and where vacancies exist.

Pensions

Discussions have taken place at a Joint Working Party in both Tube Lines and LUL and we are reporting back on any progress at Acas next week (probably Monday 17th October). LUL have again stated that they believe that the implementation date of April 2017 will be achieved and the issue is funding. We believe that there is money there now that Amey are losing the contract and demand an end to the two Tier workforce now.

There is never any money, unless of course, it is to pay for redundancy for higher level Managers to leave LUL before a Cap comes in on Redundancy Pay. There was plenty of money for that

What next?

The Tube Lines reps agreed to pull all these issues together and they either get resolved by October or we are back into dispute. Once next weeks talks at Acas are concluded then the reps will be call back and a full report and discussion will occur. Any offers or update will be sent out to our members first and you will need to let your reps know your views at that stage. Hopefully we can report progress and success. if not then our members will need to let us know what action they wish to take to take our demands forward.

In short, it’s time to give us our money and give us a TfL Pension and that time is NOW

 

 

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Engineering Train Operator Dispute

Over the last month there has been intensive talks with Tube Lines to achieve 6.3% Pay Parity with their Tamper Driver colleagues.

During these talks both the RMT and our sister union Aslef have consistently worked hard to reach agreement with management, only to find that on each occasion management have moved the goal posts just when agreement has looked close. Despite reaching consensus on the core areas to fund the pay increase of the role of Assistant Drivers, where they are used and agreeing a process to negotiate rosters, management have scuppered the deal by adding unacceptable conditions under the guise of a new draft roster.

We were surprised to find that management had included full multi-skilling of the Engineering Train Operator Grade to take over the core work currently done by shunters within their draft roster proposal. This was to facilitate the wholesale destruction of the shunter role. Coupled with  previous attempts to vary the core agreement to make it an Aladdin’s Cave of Senior Management’s every dream come true such as disbanding the Track Recording Vehicle Team,  we feel that there is no other option but to refer this matter back to Acas and also request that the NEC calls the following action:

Strike Action:

Members not to book on for shifts  as below starting after:

05:59- 21:59 on Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th and Friday 21st October

21:59-05:59 Friday 4th November

17:59- 05:59 Saturday 5th November

05;59 Friday 18th Nov- 05:59 Sunday 20th Nov.

An overtime ban on the following dates

22:00 – 05:58  Weds 19th and Thurs 20th Oct

22:00 Friday 21st October until 21:58 Friday 4th November

06:00 – 17:58 Saturday 5th November

06:00 Sunday 6th November to 05:58 Friday    18th November

Indefinite overtime ban from 06:00 Sunday 20th November

We also note that some members that we have asked to be included in pay rise and the company have rejected that proposal. We therefore ask for these staff (Assists and Operational Managers with an ETO License) are balloted for strike and action short of strike

 

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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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Tube Lines Ballot Result

RMT TUBE LINES MEMBERS VOTE BY MASSIVE MAJORITY FOR ACTION IN NIGHT TUBE PAY AND PENSIONS DISPUTE

 

Tube union RMT confirmed today that a ballot of Tube Lines maintenance and engineering staff over Night Tube, pay and pensions has recorded an overwhelming vote for action.

Over 85% voted for strike action with an even larger majority for action short of a strike.

The dispute is over the companies refusal to discuss outstanding pensions issues until after the launch of the Night Tube operation.  There are also major unresolved issues over Night Tube staffing arrangements and a threat to undermine PRP agreements through Tube Lines refusing to base budgets on the negotiated levels of Performance Related Pay.

The result will now be considered by RMT’s executive.

RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said:

“RMT members have now shown their anger at the way that Tube Lines have attempted to tie in attacks on pensions with the offer on pay and Night Tube. There are also major unresolved issues over the Tube Lines staffing arrangements for the Night Tube and over Performance Related Pay.

“The ballot result will be considered by RMT’s executive and now that the members have shown their anger it is absolutely essential that there is the earliest possible resumption of serious and meaningful talks on these issues and the union is ready to engage in those talks.

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FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF SEAMEN'S STRIKE

RMT TO LAUNCH NEW BOOKLET ON FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF SEAMEN’S STRIKE IN DOVER

 

Shipping union RMT will be officially launching a new booklet – “TURNING THE TIDE” – marking the fiftieth anniversary of the 1966 seamen’s strike at the union’s biennial shipping general meeting in Dover today – Thursday 12th May.

 

There will be a press call and photo opportunity with delegates and visitors to the BGM at:

 

One pm – Thursday 12th May

RMT Dover Office

48 Snargate Street

Dover CT17 9BZ

 

Turning the Tide is a pamphlet specially commissioned by RMT to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1966 seamen’s strike and to ensure that a new generation of trade unionists can understand the background of this important dispute and learn the lessons from it that resonate with our work today.

 

The pamphlet has been written by former NUS staff member Jim Jump and starts by setting out the background to the dispute in the run up to 1966 and taking us right back to the early days of trade union organisation in the shipping industry at the end of the 19th century.

 

Extraordinary pictures have been sourced of the pivotal strike in the Port of Liverpool in 1911 which show thousands of workers and their supporters out on the streets of the City as part of a national six weeks of action which forced the dropping of the employers anti-union pledge and paved the way for national wage rates and the closed shop.

 

The pamphlet pulls no punches – taking readers through the dark days when the NUS refused to support the general strike, was thrown out of the TUC and didn’t return until the 1930’s by which time the depression was hammering jobs and wages throughout the industry. A “top down” approach remained in the union and it was left to local militants to fight wildcat actions with some jailed just after the second world war.

 

It was these industrial militants who were the backbone of the rank and file movement as the clock ticked down towards 1966.

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

 

“Turning the Tide” sets out a unique background to the looming dispute and a handy time-line through the forty seven days in 1966 that quite literally shook the country to its very foundations.

 

“With archive shots of “The Seaman”, and a rich use of contemporary pictures, this pamphlet will be seen in the future as an important educational and historical resource. It will be invaluable to anyone studying the industrial battles of the sixties and seventies.”

 

RMT National Secretary Steve Todd added:

 

“The publication explores the political climate at the time of the dispute and homes in on biographies of some of the “politically motivated men” named by Harold Wilson in his infamous quote.

 

“It also brings us bang up to date, explaining how the struggles for workplace justice that led to the 1966 strike are mirrored in the battles that RMT is engaged in across the shipping industry today.”

 

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RMT TO BALLOT LILLIEBRIDGE DEPOT

RMT TO BALLOT FOR ACTION AT MAIN TUBE TRACK MAINTENANCE AND RENEWALS DEPOT

 

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has begun preparations for a ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike for all staff working out of the main track maintenance and renewals depot at Lillie Road in Earls Court.

 

Staff at the depot have gone into dispute after they got caught in the middle of a mad dash by Mayor Boris Johnson to bulldoze through the demolition of whole swathes of the Earls Court area to open the door for luxury housing for the tax-dodging super rich before he hands over the keys to City Hall in May. It is that drive that has led to a scramble to vacate the Lillie Road depot, riding roughshod over agreed consultation timetables and threatening the jobs and working conditions of the RMT members caught in the crossfire.

 

Earlier talks at LU Company Council aimed at averting a dispute were successful and ended in an agreement that the Beaumont Ave end of the Lillie Road depot would be opened up to allow works traffic in and out during the development, and that LU/TfL would consult the RMT in good time as and when the TfL/Capco development plans progressed to affect the depot again. Capco are the luxury property development partners of TFL.

 

Hoever at the beginning this year notice has been given to all departments at Lillie Bridge Depot that we are required to vacate by 2019. This sudden compressing of the timetable means that the Feasibility Study for the move to Acton Depot has to be done by May 2016 – a few weeks away – and the concept approval for what happens to all staff based in the depot is due to be completed in June 2016 – less than two months away.

 

No progress has been made on any serious consultation leading RMT to the conclusion that the process is being rail-roaded at the behest of the Mayor and his property developer partners.

 

RMT’s demands are simple, clear and reasonable:

 

  1. An agreement signed off at the highest LU/TfL level setting out an acceptable location for us all to move to.

 

  1. 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

 

The failure to offer those agreements has triggered the move to a ballot.

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

 

“The livelihoods and jobs of all RMT members at Lillie Road is under severe threat due to London Mayor Boris Johnsons wish to wrap up the Capco/TfL luxury housing development deal for the super-rich between Earls Court, West Kensington and West Brompton ahead of the Mayoral election. The bulldozing through of these plans is at the clear expense of local tenants, residents and the jobs of  RMT members affected by the accompanying demolition of Lillie Bridge Depot.

 

“The RMT has spent years successfully defending our members at Lillie Bridge Depot and we are not going to take this latest attack that all stems from the obsession with luxury property speculation in this City.

“RMT remains available for talks.”

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LUL Track Patrolling Dispute

Following talks with LUL and meetings with affected members, we believe we are close to achieving an acceptable solution that guarantees job security and patrolling being done by internal staff.

Further talks are scheduled for tomorrow and talks will focus on the below skeleton agreement. It must be stressed that NO AGREEMENT have been reached and our members will and are being fully involved in this process

 

(Draft) Track Patrolling Cleshars Staff Dispute Resolution Agreement

  1. This agreement does not form part of any night tube agreement and the Track staff will be party to any further additional enhancements
  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 to eliminate the need to use the existing licensed Cleshars staff for track patrolling.
  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 that 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. Staff will be able to apply for overtime on other lines and departments if available. A list of staff available to work and licences will be circulated to appropriate parties.
  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
  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 7 a) to c) above.

 

 

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Section 15: Working in a Possession

Following intensive discussions with LUL and Tube Lines management over the Section 15 dispute, progress is consistently being made to ensure that we have a safe system of work for the track.

The initial work has focused on working safely within a possession and a draft document has been produced to further comment (see below).

 

Working in a possession 3 – April 2016

 

LUL have also agreed the following:

Summary of the discussion:

  • Code of practice as attached to be shared at your branch meeting and then ratified with RMT executive if acceptable to our members
  • Briefing presentation powerpoint to be altered to reflect today’s agreed changes to code of practice
  • Possession masters and possession worksite access controllers to be given training as a priority in the new code of practice
  • Pilot sessions for the briefings to be held in May with feedback given
  • Bob Doyle to provide schedule for briefings to take place
  • Approx 1st June – briefings to commence for all maintenance staff and code of practice to be launched
  • After 1st June – condensed on site briefing at all possessions to be given to staff for the duration of the briefing period (note – this will not replace the standard briefing)
  • Approx 1st July – new updated BTA/IWA/PWT training to be launched

Briefings

  • To be delivered in groups of 15-25 people
  • To be delivered by a trainer or trainer equivalent
  • Staff to sign for briefings
  • Staff to be given a physical ticket to say that they have been briefed – we are looking at whether this can be indicated on track certificates
  • Staff that will be working in possessions will be prioritised to attend briefings first
  • RMT representative to attend each briefing

We believe talks are continuing to be collaborative and successful in helping achieve our aim of safety first for track working and access. Without the solidarity shown by our members, none of this would be achievable

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Last Weeks Pic Line Drivers Strike

Solidarity from LUEngineering Branch to the Drivers striking to stop Bullying on the Pic Line

From Last Week

Piccadilly line strike action rock solid

TUBE UNION RMT said that strike action by drivers on the Piccadilly Line is rock-solid this morning in a dispute over bullying and harassment of staff that has led to a complete breakdown in industrial relations. All services are currently suspended and will remain so throughout the rest of the day.

RMT says that responsibility for the strike, and the disruption to services, rests squarely with the LU management who have allowed a culture of bullying and harassment of staff to build up over a number of years on the line as drivers have been subjected to the abuse and misuse of disciplinary processes and left to take the rap for systemic failures with the aging Piccadilly Line fleet.

Mick Cash RMT General Secretary said:

“RMT congratulates our members for the rock-solid and determined support for today’s action. They are making a stand against bullying, the ripping up of procedures and in defence of the safety of staff and passengers alike.

“The blame for this action rests solely with the LU management who have walked away from numerous opportunities to resolve the issues at the heart of this dispute. It is time for LU on the Piccadilly Line to end the macho posturing and start talking seriously with our representatives.”

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Junior Doctors Strike

Transport union RMT pledges it’s continuing full support for junior doctors’ industrial action.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT stands in full support of our junior doctors as once again they are forced to take industrial action in defence of the basic principle of decent working conditions for NHS staff who work round the clock saving lives.

“RMT members are urged to join the picket lines at their local hospital  to show solidarity with the junior doctors at this crucial point in their fight for justice. A delegation from RMT’S executive will be standing alongside our NHS colleagues at UCH this lunchtime.

“The NHS is the cornerstone of the post-war welfare state and it falls to the entire trade union movement to line up alongside those prepared to take action to defend it.”

 

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Section 15: Why the strike was suspended

Section 15: Why the strike was suspended

Following extensive talks at Acas, the demands from your representatives were very clear and very basic, WE DO NOT WANT TO BE KILLED AT WORK

The Management Teams from LUL were left in no doubt how seriously we took this and that we firmly believe that Section 15 is the culmination of a casualisation of Track Access Safety to a point whereby our members remain in serious and imminent danger.

We left both companies with a stark choice, in our opinion, that was to either remove the possessions themselves or risk the RMT members doing it for them. We demanded that the Possessions were stopped and we agreed a safe system of work for our members.

After lengthy talks LUL agreed the following

  • LU will suspend the operation of Section 15 for a two week period commencing on Friday 12 February.
  • This will allow for a period of concentrated joint working to address the issues raised in relation to the introduction and application of Section 15.
  • In accordance with the attached Terms of Reference, there will be two separate workstreams focussing on Track and Signals and Service Control respectively.
  • ACAS facilitated progress sessions will take place on 19 and 25 February to ensure that the discussions are proceeding productively and to provide any necessary assistance and guidance.
  • In consideration of the above RMT agrees to suspend any notified industrial action in relation to Section 15 scheduled to take place prior to 27 February, and undertakes not to institute any operationally disruptive industrial action during this period.

The Engineering Terms of Reference are below:

To review and revise as appropriate:

  1. A Safe System of Work for access and working in Section 15 and other possessions (any relevant conclusions from the FIR to be incorporated).
  2. OSN 122 (Section 15).
  3. Working in Possessions guidance document.

We will now work very hard over the next two week to make sure our members are safe at work. If agreement is not reached then we will name strike action again.

ENGINEERING UNITY IS STRENGTH

 

LUL Letter Section 15 Suspension

 

Section 15 Dispute LEAFLET

 

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LU suspend the training and assessment of Cleshars T001

LUL Track Patrolling: Strike Suspended

Following talks at and after Acas, your representatives made it clear that a line in the sand had been drawn and that as far as we was concerned that the training of Cleshars staff to undertake track patrolling was uneconomic, unnecessary and would not be tolerated by our members.

Whilst LUL reiterated their mantra that this was just a small number of staff and was only to fill in the gaps in staffing levels due to a particular roster issue once Night Tube was implemented, we did not accept that premise.

The reality is that these staff have been trained several months ago despite no date set for the introduction of Night Tube. We believe this is a strike breaking army being set up to undermine legal Industrial action and allow the last area of PWAY work to be opened up to external companies. Our mandate is clear and this situation cannot be tolerated.

However, in an effort to resolve this dispute, your representatives decided to put LUL under the microscope. If this is purely about a small roster issue, let’s resolve that, the Cleshar’s T001 staff can then be used to fill the vacancies across LUL.

To that end, we have agreed to further and more detailed roster talks regarding BCV to see if an acceptable solution can be negotiated whereby our members stay on the roster they wish and the outsourcing threat is removed. LUL also agreed to ‘suspend the training and assessment of non-permanent employees for track patrolling purposes for a period of two weeks’

If this fails then we will not hesitate to put on more strike action. In the meantime the action short of NO mentoring or assessing of Cleshars T001 staff remain lives from 06:30 Saturday 13th February

 

LUL Track Patrolling Dispute LEAFLET

 

LUL offer

 

 

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