This is an official RMT circular - IR/61/10 dated 18th of February 2010, from General Secretary Bob Crow.

I write to advise branches that victory has been achieved in the above dispute which has been concluded following talks at ACAS and the industrial action has been suspended.

Click '2 attachments' / file names to download a leaflet and the text of the agreement reached at ACAS.

Following developments today at ACAS, the RMT has agreed to suspend ALL action for this Sunday (and subsequent Sundays following this).

Over the next few weeks, a procedure will be agreed whereby any discussions on roster changes will need to go through a defined process that allows for full discussions to occur at local, functional and company council levels.

Colleagues:

We need to advise you that RMT Signal maintainers working for the former Metronet will be taking industrial action for 24 hours starting from 06.45 on Friday 5th of February.

Their dispute is over the imposition of unagreed rosters that change Monday to Friday workers to compulsory weekends

This dispute could have serious implications for the safety of the service that LU will be offering for the duration of the industrial action.

• TfL
• Alstom
• London Underground engineering workers (ex-Metronet)
• London Underground "summit"
• EDF

Former Metronet signals members voted massively in favour of both strike action and action short of a strike.

The First 24 hour strike action will take place between 06.45 hours on Friday 5th February and 06.45 hours on Saturday 6th February 2010.

Further 24 hour strike action will take place every weekend from Sunday morning into Monday morning. The first of these will take place between 06.45 hours on Sunday 14th February and 06.45 hours on Monday 15th February 2010.

TUBE UNION RMT announced today that London Underground (Metronet) members covered by the Signals Framework Agreement have voted by a massive majority of over 90% for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over the imposition of new rosters, breaches of agreements and the handing over of work to external contractors.

RMT have accused LUL management of unilaterally ripping up agreements, bulldozing through shift patterns that treat staff like slabs of meat that can be pulled off the shelf when it suits managers and of threatening job security through increased use of outside contractors.

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it is balloting all London Underground (Metronet) members covered by the Signals Framework Agreement for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over the imposition of new rosters, breaches of agreements and the handing over of work to external contractors.

The ballot for action, which closes on 19th January, will involve 750 staff on the former Metronet sections of the tube network – all lines except for the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee.

It seems as though a sensible decision has been made, as it was announced this week that Metronet will remain under the management of LUL. It's recent transition to LUL had been on a temporary basis but will now be ongoing. The Department for Transport has a press release on this issue:

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis and Mayor of London Boris Johnson today confirmed that the tube improvement contracts inherited by Transport for London (TFL) on an interim basis after Metronet’s collapse will remain permanently under the direct management of London Underground Ltd (LUL).

IMPORTANT ELECTION - TFL Pension Fund - Pensions Consultative Committee

RMT members are supporting Mark Harding and Linda Martin in this important election. Mark has sat on this committee for many years and needs your support. Linda is committed to defending your pension and will make an important contribution to this committee.

Please use both your votes

VOTE

Mark Harding X
Linda Martin X

PLEASE PLACE THE ATTACHED POSTER ON NOTICE BOARDS

Key media commentators are now accepting RMT’s calculation that the total financial black hole facing TfL/LUL is pushing £5 billion with 3000 jobs at risk. This week we exposed £60 million of maintenance cuts on former Metronet lines. We achieved widespread coverage for our case that these cuts are the tip of the iceberg with far worse to come if we don’t stand up and fight.

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.

From RMT official circular IR.114/09, dated 1st April 2009

I am writing to advise you that the Union is holding a ballot for strike action and action short of a strike over a number of very important issues.

London Underground and TfL have taken industrial relations to a new low with their recent disgraceful pay ‘offer’: RPI +1% this year, followed by RPI + nothing for the next four. This ‘offer’ follows a period in which LUL has abused and misused the Attendance at Work Procedure in order to harass and penalise staff who have suffered illness or injury. And the company’s latest plan is to renege on the ‘jobs for life’ agreement which was made at the time of the enforced introduction of PPP six years ago, opening the way for wholesale job cuts.

This notice is for LUL/Metronet workers based at Lambeth North, encouraging them to vote Yes in the industrial action ballot. Click '1 attachment' / file name to download it. Read the text below.

Notice to All RMT Ex-Metronet Members at Lambeth North

RMT UNION CALLS FOR STRIKE ACTION AND ACTION SHORT OF STRIKE ACTION.

Vote ~YES

For Fair Pay & Job Security

After negotiation with RMT Metronet has decided to offer our members a PAY CUT INSTEAD OF A PAY RISE.

Top LUL/Metronet boss Paul Tullet made a statement at the Metronet LUL Company Council on Friday 13 March which shows just what we are up against and why everyone must vote yes in the coming ballot for industrial action. At this meeting, management tabled the same 5-year pay offer that management of the rest of LUL had previously tabled - RPI plus 1% for '09 followed by RPi plus 0% for the following 4 years.

That is quite bad enough - a year-on-year real-terms pay cut - but Mr Tullet then went on to say ...