DLR branch

Transport union RMT said today that it has secured a ground breaking Olympics pay deal on DLR worth £2500 made up of a guaranteed attendance payment of £900 and guaranteed overtime payments for all staff throught the olympics and paralympics period.

The agreement is constructed as follows:

• £900 attendance bonus, paid at £100 per week over a 9-week period for all staff in every grade.∙
• Time +¾ for any hour worked on overtime throughout the 9-week period with a guaranteed minimum 5 hours per week, 45 hours over the 9 week period, for all staff in every grade.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the report from our Lead Officer on negotiations with DLR. The General Secretary is instructed to ensure that we enter into negotiations with Serco Docklands on the Olympics issue and to ensure that reports are placed before the General Grades Committee so that we can co-ordinate our response with those offers received from other companies.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the detailed report from our branch on issues on DLR, and agree to add this to the file. We instruct the General Secretary to obtain from the lead officer for DLR a report on these issues, and on how best we can support the branch in dealing with them. The report to be placed in front of the GGC when received.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the report from our lead officer concerning discussions with Serco Docklands about working arrangements for the Olympic Games.

We instruct the General Secretary to obtain reports from all lead officers on progress of discussions regarding the Olympics.

We refer this issue to the Olympics Sub-Committee for examination and report, and instruct that it meet as soon as practical in order to effectively co-ordinate our work on this issue.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the response from Serco Docklands [telling us what facilities they have for bike storage and showers]. We instruct the General Secretary to write to our branch asking whether members believe that these provisions are adequate. The response to be placed in front of us.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note that Serco Docklands has clarified that: “Employees on trade union contracts will be paid double time if they work on a bank holiday, this applies to both hours and overtime. The bank holiday payments are applied from 12 midnight at the start of the day to midnight at the end of the day. If an employee is rostered to work on a bank holiday or if it is their rostered rest day they will accrue a lieu day. They may choose to have this paid instead.”

We seek the views of our Docklands Light Railway branch on this matter.

RMT General Grades Committee decision below. The content of the offer will be posted here as soon as practical.

In line with the recommendation of our lead officer and representatives, and following discussion with the branch secretary, we instruct the General Secretary to conduct a referendum of our members on Serco Docklands recommending they accept the offer that emerged from talks yesterday.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow:

I am delighted to be able to report that this morning in the Court of Appeal RMT has secured a massive landmark victory on the UK strike laws over our dispute on Serco Docklands.

The full details are contained in the press statement below but be under no illusions – this morning RMT has given a huge boost to 7 million trade unionists in the country fighting for jobs, pensions and standards of livings.

From Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary:

I write to advise branches that last week the High Court granted Serco Docklands an injunction preventing RMT from organising a 48 hour strike on the Docklands Light Railway. Yet again an employer has run to a High Court Judge to use the Anti trade union laws to ignore the democratic will of members. This decision has ramifications not just for RMT but across the whole Trade Union Movement and is the latest of a long line of high court decisions against trade unions.

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today announced 48 hours of strike action on DLR between 03.59 hours Thursday 20th January 2011 and 03.58 hours Saturday 22nd January 2011 in a dispute with Serco Docklands over the following issues: -

• Failure to consult over redundancies
• Failure to consult and imposition of new pension arrangements
• Failure to consult over the introduction of new grades
• Imposition of a new roster reflecting altered walking times and spreadover times without RMT agreement.
• RMT claim for a 35 hour working week.
  

RMT's General Grades Committee adopted the following report from the Southern Sub-Committee:

Following consultation with our Docklands Light Railway branch, we instruct our members on Serco Docklands to take strike action and action short of strikes in pursuit of our dispute over the breakdown of industrial relations as follows:

Members are instructed not to book on for any shifts commencing from 03:59 on Thursday 20 January until 03:59 on Saturday 22 January.

TRANSPORT UNION RMT members have voted by a massive majority for action in a dispute with Serco Docklands.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said “Management at Serco Docklands continue to show total disregard for the idea of proper negotiation and consultation with this trade union on a number of issues and have also victimised and dismissed two of our colleagues. Our members have shown in this massive vote for action that they will not be bullied and treated with contempt."

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the ballot result is as follows:-

Are you prepared to take strike action?

Total Votes Cast 198
Number Voting Yes 162
Number Voting No 36
Spoilt 0

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

Total Votes Cast 198
Number Voting Yes 175
Number Voting No 21
Spoilt 2

TRANSPORT UNION RMT confirmed today that it is in dispute with Serco Docklands and will be balloting for both strike action and action short of a strike.

Following a meeting of the General Grades Committee regarding the above, the following decision has been taken: -

“That having consulted our representatives, and the report from our lead officer in respect of talks with the company. Despite minor concessions, management continue to press ahead with unacceptable proposals on a series of issues. Furthermore there has been a serious failure to consult with this union before impositions of terms and conditions.

Official circular from Bob Crow:

A number of industrial relations problems have arisen at Serco Docklands which have been reported to the General Grades Committee by the lead officer and the following decision has been taken:-

Circular from Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary ...

Earlier this year I wrote to Carlisle Cleaning & Support Services expressing my utmost concern over the company’s assertion that the RMT only had direct bargaining and recognition rights for three Carlisle Cleaning and Support Contracts, namely Eurostar, London Midland and Alstom/West Coast.