Council of Executives Member's report, 28 April

LU Victimisations – LU job cuts (OSP) – Tube cuts – LU machinery of negotiation - Victoria Line upgrade health & safety drivers’ dispute – Hammersmith & City Line dispute – LU ‘rainbow’ process – Signals Framework Agreement, grade progression – Northumberland Park fleet – imposition of Stations Framework Agreement – Power Control Room grade progression – DLR dispute – Regional Organiser assault conviction – Alstom Jubilee contract transferred back in-house to Tube Lines – LU uniform cleaning vouchers – LU pay – Disabled members’ advisory committee / conference – other companies – Egypt

• LU Victimisations – ballot result = strong Yes vote for strikes; meeting on 27/4 discussed action; further discussion at train grades meeting before LTRC to make firm recommendations; have advised LU we are available for talks; Eamonn’s Tribunal finished six weeks ago, still awaiting decision(!); press conference when we get it; Arwyn’s Tribunal week of 23/5; calculation of LU spending; need leaflets for other grades explaining why they should support Eamonn & Arwyn, plus workplace visits; need advice to members from safety reps re safety on strike days; leaflet for public being produced; RMT contacting other unions with view to co-ordinating action; should hold major rally before strikes; Tony Rowntree CDI started and adjourned; management refused to allow Steve Hedley to represent him
• LU job cuts (OSP) – management now revealing how few jobs the reviews will restore; must review our tactics; propose amending ‘action short’ to add boycott of Enhanced AFM functionality (already agreed); add refusal to work off-group; keep/relaunch boycott of £5 minimum; suspend overtime ban; still need up-to-date information on stations membership
• Tube cuts – staffing levels and maintenance frequencies cut; more cuts to come; frequent breakdowns and disruptions recently are now big issue in London; recommend the union launches a ‘Stop Tube Cuts’ campaign to fight further cuts and demand reversal of those that have already happened
• TfL – management trying to streamline OCP process for making redundancies and scrap redeployment
• LU machinery of negotiation - stations reps numbers – agreed to reallocate ‘surplus’ reps’ positions created by the abolition of seven stations groups – LTRC to discuss and decide how/where they are to be reallocated
• Victoria Line upgrade health & safety drivers’ dispute – action short of strikes starts next Thursday (see GGC decision)
• Hammersmith & City Line – 8 duties lost at Hammersmith, 5 transferred elsewhere, so net loss of 3 jobs and much more anti-social roster at Hammersmith – ballot for strikes and action short at Hammersmith; and for action short at the other two depots on the line
• LU ‘rainbow’ process – RMT demanding urgent meeting with management (see GGC decision)
• Signals Framework Agreement, Grade Progression – ballot for industrial action (see GGC decision)
• Northumberland Park fleet – ballot for strikes / action short re disciplining of members under IT policy (see GGC decision)
• Imposition of Stations Framework Agreement – management finally conceded 22a is the version that applies; however, not all managers adhering to this; RMT to produce ‘know your rights’ guide for station staff
• Power Control Room grade progression – ballot result 100% for industrial action; management conceded all our demands but want to phase in over three years; we requested extension of 28-day deadline for naming action; awaiting update on ‘heads of agreement’ wording
• DLR dispute – referendum voted to accept offer; awaiting report from branch on workplace issues they now want to pursue
• Regional Organiser assault conviction – TfL has now joined LU in banning Steve from premises and refusing to hold meetings off-premises
• Alstom – Jubilee contract transferred back in-house to Tube Lines; see GGC decision for details
• LU uniform cleaning vouchers – LU has agreed to restore the vouchers after we objected to their withdrawal at Company Council
• LU pay – see GGC decision for our rejection of LU pay offer; RMT/TSSA/Unite agreed joint statement of rejection; verbal report to be given on today’s Company Council meeting; discussion needed at this LTRC meeting on what figure to state as our aspiration
• Disabled members’ advisory committee / conference – consultation with branches; please respond
• Other companies – disputes/campaigns on Heathrow Express; East Coast; London Midland; Mitie; Southern; others
• Egypt – Kamal Abbas from independent union federation to speak in London, 20 May; I will be chairing

Janine Booth, 28/4/11