Tube Lines

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the proposal from Tube Lines to extend the current 3-year pay deal for a further 2 years, increasing wages by RPI+0.5% (minimum 2%) from 1 April 2013 and again from 1 April 2014.

We instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report on the views of our lead officer, representatives, branches and members about this proposal, and to place this report in front of us by 31 January.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

The TfL board will discuss the 'Operational Vision' tomorrow November 2nd 2011, which predicts trains without drivers and the closure of all ticket offices by 2016.

LUL's Managing Director Mike Brown's presentation to the Board is attached.

Brown says "Given the technology available now, it is very unlikely that, after the procurement of the trains for the Sub Surface Lines, LU will ever again buy a fleet of passenger trains with conventional drivers’ cabs."

The TfL board will discuss the 'Operational Vision' this week, which predicts trains without drivers and the closure of all ticket offices by 2016.

A document has been released detailing the agenda of the meeting. It says "Given the technology available now, it is very unlikely that, after the procurement of the trains for the Sub Surface Lines, LU will ever again buy a fleet of passenger trains with conventional drivers’ cabs."

The document also makes note of stations saying that ticket office need will decrease and staff will need to become more 'flexible.'

In the last two days, two RMT tube drivers have been reinstated. This is the latest of several RMT members to be reinstated following unfair dismissals.

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.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from Tube Lines. We instruct the General Secretary to send a copy of this letter to our LU Engineering branch and relevant representatives, and to obtain reports from them on the ‘local consultation meeting’ referred to in the letter.

We further note the failure of other employers to respond to our correspondence on this matter, and instruct the General Secretary to send a follow-up letter demanding a response, and to arrange for the issue to be tabled at the next appropriate meetings with these employers.

Update: London Underground has revised its offer to four years: 5% this year, RPI+0.5% (minimum 2%) for years 2, 3 and 4.

RMT workplace representatives will be discussing this at a meeting on Tuesday 4 October.You work hard, your employer makes money from your efforts, and you have bills to pay. So your union organises members to win better pay and working conditions. RMT aims to achieve:

• above-inflation pay rises - anything else is a pay cut in real terms, as your outgoings increase faster than your income;

RMT General Grades Committee decision re Northfirelds depot case:

We note the report from our LU Fleet branch secretary that the ballot for industrial action is no longer necessary as the disciplinary action against our member has been dropped with ‘no case to answer’.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the resolution from our LU Fleet branch and share the branch’s concerns about the unjust way in which our member is being treated. We further note the branch’s view that members have no trust in the disciplinary procedure being applied fairly, and wish to take industrial action to ensure justice for their workmate.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note that our previous decision of 15 June agreed to accept the pay offer from Tube Lines for former Alstom staff at Stratford Market depot, subject to the company accepting our Regional Organiser’s proposed amendments to the wording of the offer.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the pay offer from Tube Lines for former Alstom staff at Stratford Market depot, and the report from our Regional Organiser. We accept our Regional Organiser’s recommendation that should the employer agree to proposed amendments to the wording of the offer, then it would be acceptable to us.

RMT GGC adopted the following report:

We welcome the transfer of the train maintenance contract on London Underground’s Jubilee Line from the privately-owned Alstom to the publicly-owned Tube Lines. This comes at a time when the Jubilee Line is plagued by delays and disruptions, and illustrates that this union was right to campaign against the contracting-out of this work.

From Bob Crow, General Secretary:

I am delighted to advise branches that thanks to pressure from the union and the threat of a ballot for industrial action of all members at Tube Lines, management have seen sense and have reinstated Brother Hutchinson. Management were under no allusion that members were prepared to vote strongly in favour of industrial action in defence of their rep who we believe has been victimised by Tube Lines. I would like to congratulate all involved for successfully getting Chris reinstated to his substantive role.

Transport For London's commissioner Peter Hendy was recently interviewed by Dave Hill for The Guardian.

In the interview Hendy says that TFL will be facing cuts in its budget of 21% over the next few years. Future job losses are discussed with Hendy foreseeing that "The other thing you take a hit on is the cost of running the place. We will be doing less in some areas, so we will need less people to do it"

From Bob Crow, General Secretary ...

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to bring you up to date with developments in regard to the TfL Pension Fund.

Actuarial Valuation

The results of the latest valuation of the Fund have recently been concluded. The valuation, as at 31st March 2009, assesses whether or not there are sufficient assets to pay for pensions already promised to existing pensioners, deferred pensioners and active members, and also sets employer contribution rates necessary to fund future benefits after the valuation date.

The valuation revealed a £1,206m deficit in the Public Sector Section. In addition a deficit of £125m exists in the LUL BCV and SSL sections, and a £75.6m deficit in the Tube Lines Section.

<--- RMT members picket Ash House (Arnos Grove depot), and persuade the very few who turn up to turn away ...

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download this as a single-sided leaflet.

THE TRUTH IS COMING OUT

Many Train Operators expressed concerns over safety during the recent Tube Lines strike. A lot of drivers believed that safety standards were not up to scratch. Some drivers believed that they had been given assurances during previous similar situations, that had turned out not to be true.

Track Maintenance:

More than 50 drivers at Arnos Grove on the Piccadilly line refused to drive trains during the recent strike by Tubelines staff, despite a ferocious offensive by management to bully drivers onto trains. Local reps challenged management's claims that qualified Emergency Response Unit (ERU) staff were working normally and pointed out that LUL was refusing to provide our union with details of those alleged to be working and of their competencies and qualifications.

Read the full story by clicking on the attachment below.

AS LONDON mayor Boris Johnson confirmed this morning that Transport for London have completed their takeover of the failed Tube Lines operation, RMT has demanded urgent intervention to resolve a dispute over jobs and working conditions as the union produced new figures showing that 535 out of 2915 Tube Lines staff posts are under threat.

Following two days of strike action last week, RMT has confirmed a further 48 hours of action on Tube Lines between 19.00 hours on Wednesday 14th July and 18.59 hours on Friday 16th July.