Future Pension Provision & Free Travel Facilities For Tube Lines Staff

As you will recall from my previous Circular (No LUL/15/10, 16th May 2011) I highlighted the disparity in regards to the terms and conditions of those employees who were TUPE transferred from Alstom Metro Trains, Stratford Market Depot, to Tube Lines (TL) compared to those former Metronet employees who have been fully integrated into LUL.

I particularly drew your attention to the inequality in pension and travel facilities with former Metronet employees who have been allowed back into the Transport for London Pension Fund (TfLPF) and have also achieved parity with LUL employees with regards to travel facilities.

As instructed by the RMT’s Executive Committee I wrote in May of this year to all parties involved (TfL, LUL, and TL) requesting that the transferred staff, as well as other TL Staff, are allowed to transfer into the TfLPF and also receive the same free travel facilities as other employees working for TfL and LUL. Regrettably the replies I received from management were unsatisfactory.

Following extensive discussions with RMT representatives on Wednesday 5th October 2011 and taking fully into account the exchange of letters between all parties, it is clear that this position cannot be allowed to continue.

Therefore I have written a letter, dated 12th October 2011, to senior management at TL outlining the following demands:

• All existing and future Tube Lines staff be allowed to join the TfLPF and that all new recruits be automatically enrolled into the Scheme as per the Scheme Rules.
• All existing and future TL staff are granted the same travel facilities package as that enjoyed by LUL staff.

I have requested that a meeting is convened as soon as possible so that the RMT are given the opportunity to fully explain this claim and also enter into early negotiations with management to rectify this situation.

I will keep you updated of future developments.