Letter to Probationers and Apprentices: Your Right to Strike

This letter is from Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary. Click '1 attachment' / file name to download it. Read the text below.

To All Probationers and Apprentices Employed by LUL - Our Ref : LUL/14/2 - 19th May 2009

Dear Colleague,

Current Dispute with London Underground.

As you know we are currently balloting all LUL members for strike action and action short of a strike over the company’s refusal to make a reasonable offer on pay, breaches of long standing agreements and their proposals to make up to 3000 staff redundant.

I have been advised by a number of sources that management are using bullying tactics and are actually lying about your right to take part in the ballot and to take industrial action.

First let me assure you that the ballot is secret. The ballot paper goes to your home address and is returned to an independent body, the ERS, for counting. Your Union doesn’t know how you vote so I can guarantee management won’t know either. If they ask you how you are voting you do not have to tell them anything and should politely tell them it’s none of their business.

I am also aware that management are targeting new starters and threatening them with the sack if they take strike action. The fact is probationers and apprentices have exactly the same rights as established staff with regard to taking lawful industrial action supported by a ballot and they cannot be targeted in this way. In the event that any RMT member is picked on for taking part in the strike, they will get the full support of the Union and we will do everything within our power to get them reinstated.

If management put as much energy into trying to resolve this dispute as they are into intimidating and bullying staff then this dispute could be resolved quickly.

DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED – SUPPORT YOUR UNION AND VOTE ‘YES’ FOR STRIKE ACTION AND ACTION SHORT OF A STRIKE.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Crow General Secretary.