Category: Strikes

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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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RMT confirms 48 hour DLR strike

RMT confirms 48 hour DLR strike from tomorrow morning is on as talks fail to make any progress

 

 

RAIL UNION RMT said today that staff across all grades on Keolis Amey Docklands Light Railway will strike for 48 hours from early tomorrow after last ditch talks failed to make any progress this morning. The dispute is over a range of serious unresolved issues that are wrecking industrial relations.

 

Talks on Friday and this morning with KAD failed as management refused to address the core issues of use of agency staff, imposition without agreement of fundamental changes to the control centre managing movement and power, abuse of procedures and the adoption of a wholly cavalier attitude to the issues of risk assessment and the safety and security of both staff and the travelling public.

 

RMT members voted by a massive 92% to act and will now take 48 hours of strike action with no shifts booked on or after 0359  on Tuesday 3rd November until 0358 on the Thursday 5th November 2015.

 

The key issues at the heart of the dispute are:

 

  • Abuses of the use of agency staff  within the KAD network.
  • Undermining the position of Control Centre, stores and other grades effectively casualising key functions
  • A creeping culture of bullying and intimidation of staff, including an abuse of the use of CCTV,  being allowed to develop
  • Breaches of agreements, procedures and the recognition framework

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT negotiators have made every effort over the past 72 hours to resolve this dispute through negotiation but due to the sheer intransigence of the management the DLR will now face its first ever all-out strike action in the 28 years history of the railway. The responsibility for the massive disruption that will kick in from early tomorrow morning is entirely down to the aggressive and bullying attitude of the new KAD management who don’t seem to understand the basic principles of industrial relations.

“Our members on DLR are furious at the way that Keolis/Amey are trying to bulldoze through some of the worst working practices and conditions that we associate with the operations of the most cheapskate and anti-union companies in the transport sector and that anger is reflected in the ballot results. We will not sit back and allow this aggressive and bullying culture to develop on this key part of London’s transport network.

“The company should not have underestimated the anger of the workforce and KAD’s abject failure to address these issues which left us with no option but to ballot for action and that ballot registered a massive 92% in favour.

“The 48 hour strike now goes ahead as planned.  The union remains available for further meaningful talks.”

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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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Tube Lines Pay & Company Council Update

Dear Colleagues,

Further talks were carried out last week between TFL/ Tube Lines and the Trade Unions. There is no further progress and we remain in dispute. Hopefully, our ballot matrix will be ready soon

Report

  • Minutes from 3rd June agreed
  • Pension there are no planned JWP meetings because TFL are  still busy talking to LU reps about night tube/ pay.
  • If agreed that Night Tube is to be done on a voluntary basis  on LU, Tubelines would not be  able to because all 3 of their lines are effected.
  • The rest of the pay/ night tube is the same as LU’s.
  • We said if you give us the pension we could sort out Night Tube, Andy Derbyshire will talk to TFL, he asked in the meantime can we talk about night tube we said no.
  • Xmas & new yrs/ working arrangements Bonus, they could not tell us what it will be and are going to get back.
  • LU strike days Tube lines will still be asking for sick notes and refusing A/L but there would be managers discretion on A/L , they said staff phone in sick or take A/L rather than try to get to work or cross picket lines, we did not agree to this they said they have done it in the past, we said they let staff know  beforehand and didn’t this time.
  • They would tell managers to inform staff in future.

 

Notes of Company Council Meeting No 53 3rd June 2015

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RMT suspends LUL action

RMT suspends this week’s action and puts on September strike dates as talks over Night Tube make significant progress

 

TUBE UNION RMT said this afternoon that the strike dates on London Underground this week have been suspended, with new dates announced in September, as talks over pay, jobs and Night Tube have made significant progress at ACAS.

The union has made it clear to London Underground that the union remains in dispute and further strike action will be taken on the 8th and 10th September. RMT has also made it clear that the union will take further industrial action if there are moves to run test trains or if there is any attempt to impose Night Tube operations.‎

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“Our negotiators have been able to make enough significant progress in talks at ACAS over pay, jobs and Night Tube to allow us to suspend this week’s strike dates. We have still not reached a final agreement and as a result we are putting on additional strike action on next month. In the meantime, the talks process will continue.

“I want to pay tribute to the union members who have remained united and rock solid throughout this dispute. It is their determination which forced LU to begin talking seriously and which has enabled us to make the progress that we have so far.

“Our dispute is not with the working class of London and RMT is not opposed to Night Tube providing it is introduced properly with safe and robust staffing arrangements which recognise the substantial extra pressures that this expansion will inevitably create.”

 

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Tube Strike Film

The LUEngineering Branch commissioned a mini-film to explain our side of the Tube Strike. The union is often criticised for not getting our story over. Its not for lack of trying, its purely because the press chooses not to give our side. A press which is dominated by anti-union propaganda and anti-worker stances.

Well here is our side of the story

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LUL Dispute: Aslef/ Acas Update

Aslef are an independent Union and are fully entitled to make their own agreements and deals. We have no wish to comment on what or how Aslef represent their members.

However, our union believes that you get more together and would appeal to all unions that Unity is Strength and that it is vital to avoid allowing LUL to operate a divide and conquer strategy. That is why we are an all grades union and that is why we have so successfully represented all our members of whatever grade.

This the actual offer from LUL that was made to not only to Aslef and the RMT but all Trade Unions including TSSA and Unite.

Agreement

Below is an Aslef Leaflet suggesting far more than any written undertaking from LUL

Aslef Leaflet page 1Aslef Leaflet page 2

Again, it is for all independent trade Unions to decide their action, however, our negotiators do not see this as satisfying their members. The RMT position and why they have stayed talking at Acas, is that there needs to be a formal offer with regards to Night Tube and acceptance that rosters will not be imposed. LUL have stated that they reserve the right to impose Rosters and that they still intend to go ahead with Night Tube on the 12th September (this despite the private belief from Senior Managers that Night Tube is an unwanted distraction). The RMT Negotiators believe that there needs to be something firmer and not a vague promise and suggestions of draft rosters and that we need a formal agreement and an agreed terms of reference between LUL and the Trade Unions. We believe that that is in the best interests of all our members whatever the grade. We must not also forget that there is still the issue of the annual pay discussions and the two issues are equally important.

Whilst we acknowledge that following the RMT and TSSA escalation to of the dispute to two days, that LUL have at least discussed slowing down the introduction of night tube, we believe that a verbal promise isn’t worth the paper it is written on. Especially as there is nothing concrete to show that Night Tube will be delayed if necessary. Do not believe for one second there are not massive health and safety issues to still be discussed even if agreement was fully reached today because our members and the travelling public’s safety are by far the most important aspect of any settlement..

By the way, it is even more important to have a written agreement rather than an empty and vague promise, when even a Senior Aslef Rep himself expects the need for further action. As we saw in the Aslef Boxing Day strikes, action is far more effective when taken together.

Aslef Strike Tweet

 

The RMT will now continue discussions at Acas and it has arranged a meeting for all its reps this Wednesday to discuss the situation. However, we are fortunate as a union that whilst we wish for unity and solidarity, we also note the anger in many sections of our all grades membership and we will not shy away from taking the action that we have already called if necessary and as LUL will confirm this will have a massive impact on the train service. It is times like this that a cool head is needed because a cool head gets it in writing first, because without doing that, it might easily be perceived to look like panic.

Finally, and I suspect the Aslef member that tweeted the below will be fully criticised by his leadership not least as sometimes it is forgotten that Aslef have some recognition rights in manager’s grades. I am sure that Aslef will equally confirm to its members that we are an independent trade union entitled to make our own decisions as they are and that they will point out the massive RMT victories that we have had for all grades that we represent. The tweet below is especially laughable given, purely as just one example, the way on Metronet (where there was no Aslef recognition), that our members successfully defended their grades from incessant attack to win total success against that private company. D3AN comedy gold

Aslef tweet

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Latest LUL Dispute Update from Acas

At today’s talks no real progress was made LU made their position known:

 

– No improvements on Pay

– No improvements on Night Tube payments

– No improvements for easing weekend or night working for all grades

– An undertaking from LU that Night Tube working will not be imposed on staff; BUT that management still retain the ‘right’ to impose rosters if the roster talks are unproductive

 

RMT, UNITE & TSSA are accordingly of the belief that there are no real improvements from LU; and we are still in dispute and will continue to defend all our members

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RMT confirms new strike dates in Night Tube dispute

RMT confirms new strike dates in Night Tube dispute

 

TUBE UNION RMT has today confirmed two twenty four hour strikes in the Night Tube and station jobs disputes as London Underground management, under the direction of Mayor Boris Johnson, continue to stall over the issue of work/life balance and job cuts arising from the new rosters and the Fit for the Future programme – due to come into force from the 12th September.

 

As a result, the executive of the union has taken the following decision:

 

“We note the magnificent strike action involving all 4 Trade Unions on the Underground. We particularly applaud our members for their solid and resolved action to defend their conditions of service, jobs and pay.

 

We note the continued intransigence and provocation by LU Management and their continued failure to address the wider issues of work life balance.

 

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to inform London Underground that:

 

Train Operator and Instructor Operator members are to take strike action as follows:-

 

  • By not booking on for any shifts commencing from 2100 hours on Tuesday 25th August 2015 until 2059 hours on Wednesday 26th August 2015; and again

 

  • By not booking on for any shifts commencing from 2100 hours on Thursday 27th August 2015 until 2059 hours on Friday 28th August 2015

 

All Other Grades:-

 

  • By not booking on for any shifts commencing from 1830 hours on Tuesday 25th August 2015 until 1829 hours on Wednesday 26th August 2015; and again

 

  • By not booking on for any shifts commencing from 1830 hours on Thursday 27th August 2015 until 1829 hours on Friday 28th August 2015

 

We also note with concern that two of our Fleet Branch members have been sent home and pay deducted for carrying out Union instructions on training. We salute these members and we will not leave them isolated. We instruct the General Secretary to liaise with LU Fleet Branch in order to provide practical support to these members.”

 

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

 

“Our members the length and breadth of London Underground have made it clear that they are determined to protect their work/life balance and not fall into a trap where they will be forced to wreck their home lives in order to comply with the “rosters from hell” which have been drawn up to plug the staffing gaps in the Night Tube plans.

 

“Staff are angry that their grievances are being ignored and dismissed by both the Mayor and his officials and that there has been no substantial move as of today from London Underground  to make progress towards a negotiated settlement. That is why we have no option but to strike again. It is ridiculous that the job cuts programme for fleet, engineering and station staff is also still being bulldozed through against this background.

 

“The Night Tube plan has been botched from the off. The basics haven’t been done and those who will pay for this shambles will not only be our members but the London daily travelling public who cough up a fortune and who will find their safety and the reliability of the service compromised from 12th September onwards. Running tube services with fatigued and burnt-out staff is a recipe for disaster.

 

“The action goes ahead and RMT remains available for talks regardless of the point we have reached in the dispute which is perfectly normal.”

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RMT demands an end to posturing by the London Mayor

RMT demands an end to posturing by the London Mayor as he announces that he is to write to all tube staff telling them to accept Night Tube rosters 

Mick Cash said;

“It is time for Boris Johnson to stop the posturing and start talking. This latest stunt of writing to all tube staff just confirms that he is calling the shots on Night Tube from top to bottom and doesn’t understand the fury he has unleashed across all grades, depots and lines.

“The continued refusal of the London Mayor to have any direct contact with the transport unions, despite the fact that he is clearly in charge of the tube dispute, ‎is a ludicrous way to deal with a crisis that has developed on his watch.The appeal direct to the tube workforce ignores the anger and concerns of nearly 20000 union members, reflected in massive votes in successive ballots, and will just inflame the situation.

“In Scotland, when RMT had a dispute on the ferries, the First Minister stepped in and brokered talks which led to a settlement. The Mayor cannot continue to lurch along in ignorance of the facts, ducking his responsibilities as chair of TFL,  when the whole of London is crying out for a negotiated solution that deals with the fundamental issues at the heart of this current dispute.. “

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RMT calls for Urgent Meeting with Boris

With Boris Johnson taking direct control of Night Tube dispute RMT calls for urgent meeting

 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

 

“It has become clear from the media coverage over the past forty eight hours that Boris Johnson has taken direct control of the current tube dispute.

 

“As the Night Tube is his personal project, and as chair of Transport for London, it is now time for the Mayor to reverse his long standing policy of not meeting with the trade unions and to give our negotiators an opportunity to set out the facts to him directly.

 

“From the Mayor’s statements it is clear that he has not got the message that this dispute is not about money it is about work/life balance and it is essential that with Mr Johnson now taking charge of the dispute that he grasps the fundamental issues. That can only happen through a direct meeting which looks like it’s now essential to making serious progress towards a resolution of this dispute. “

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Picket Line Bear

The RMT has seen reports that a bear has been photographed attending official picket lines. Mick Cash is unavailable for comment.

Industry insiders suspect it may in fact be a monkey in disguise and even potentially a major Night Tube recruitment drive to recruit nocturnal animals for all those friday and saturday nights. London Zoo have confirmed that they have checked and it has not escaped from them.

If seen, the travelling public are advised to give him a cuddle as pickets are entirely peaceful and appreciate the love. People attending work in order to strike break are advised to just turn round and go home.

Some of the above may not be entirely accurate 😉

Picket Line Bear

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