RMT Executive decisions

RMT Council of Executives decision:

We note the domestic violence policy on file from ‘One’. While it is positive that this company has a policy on this issue, and it has some good content, a model policy would include several improvements. In particular, a model policy would include specific commitments that:

• there will be no action under MFA/Attendance policies against staff absent due to domestic violence
• special leave for escaping domestic violence should be paid
  

RMT Council of Executives decision:

We appoint Sisters Maria Taylor (TfL no.1 branch) and Esme Bradbury (Stratford no.1 branch) as delegates to TUC Disability Conference 2012, and additionally appoint Brother Marr and Sister Booth to represent the Council of Executives.

We instruct the General Secretary to ensure that these delegates receive all relevant information and support to attend this conference.

We note the domestic violence policy on file from ‘One’. While it is positive that this company has a policy on this issue, and it has some good content, a model policy would include several improvements. In particular, a model policy would include specific commitments that:

• there will be no action under MFA/Attendance policies against staff absent due to domestic violence
• special leave for escaping domestic violence should be paid
• paid special leave should also be given for appointments etc, and that this is preferable to rearrangement of shifts
  

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow sent this letter to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Dear Sir/Madam

SENTENCING OF KAMAL ABBAS

The RMT is a UK transport union representing 80,000 members in the UK.

We are also Great Britain’s largest rail union and are represented on the Executive Committee of the International Transport Workers Federation.

The RMT is appalled to learn that Kamal Abbas, CTUWS general coordinator has been sentenced in absentia to six months imprisonment.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the work-life balance policy of London Underground Ltd. While it is far from perfect, we are concerned to ensure that our members are aware of the rights that they do have, and that management are upholding these rights.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to

1. produce a summary of members’ rights under this policy, in concise, easy-to-understand wording
2. ask our branches and representatives for their views on how this policy operates in practice
3. place these in front of us once received.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that LUL has now imposed its withdrawal of cleaning vouchers and considers the issue to be closed. We instruct the General Secretary to ask our branches and representatives what impact this policy is having on our members, and to place responses in front of us.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note that there has been an unsatisfactory situation for apprentices in London Underground Ltd’s Machinery of Negotiation since LUL arbitrarily allocated them to the MATS (managers, admin, technical, support) function rather than to service control.

We instruct the General Secretary to ensure that any outstanding issues with this are addressed during the forthcoming review of the Machinery of Negotiation.

London Transport Regional Council and branches with London Underground members to be advised.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and the strong feeling of our service control members about how London Underground is treating them. We therefore agree to declare a dispute with the company, and instruct the General Secretary to prepare a matrix for a ballot for industrial action.

The main issues are as follows:

• Wholesale job losses arising from the move to Hammersmith Service Control Centre
• Non-payment of the Service Operator 3 rate of pay
• Treatment of ex-apprentice secondee Service Operators
  

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our lead officer and reject Tube Lines’ offer on the following grounds:

1. The company’s proposals would leave some of our members with no annual leave during the summer school holidays, resulting in many children not having a family summer holiday this year.
2. The company’s offer applies only to operational staff, excluding other staff who will also be affected by the Olympics, and the company threatens to halve the financial offer should it apply to all staff.
   

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note that Carlisle Cleaning Services has agreed to recognise RMT as the sole trade union representing all hourly-paid cleaning employees, and ratify the recognition agreement contained in the file. We congratulate our Regional Organiser and DLR branch in achieving this. We instruct the General Secretary to include a report in RMT News and to send a personal letter by post to all our members on this contract explaining what recognition entails and enclosing a membership form so that they can encourage their workmates to join.