Catering

We instruct the General Secretary to ensure that the recognition agreement with Sodexo is signed as soon a practical, with details regarding representation, constituencies etc completed in line with our representatives’ wishes. We congratulate our representatives and activists for their very hard work in achieving 50%+ membership in difficult circumstances, and instruct the General Secretary to ensure that a pay and conditions claim is drafted and placed in front of us, and that we pursue a renewed recruitment campaign following the confirmation of recognition.

This is a synopsis of the report given by the London Transport Region Executive Member Janine Booth to the London Transport Regional Council Meeting on 29th November 2012.

To get more details please try and attend your branch meeting or regional council - your rep should have more information too. Alternatively this site has lots of information and material for workplaces in the London Region.

LTRC RESOLUTIONS

PMAs

Each month our Executive Council Member Janine Booth reports to the Regional Council. This report as a synopsis and the full 'EC decisions' can be read here.

We've added some links to the report to explain some of the topics covered in more detail.

Remember branch meetings and the regional meeting are open to all members - this is where you can get involved and make a change in your union.

EC Report

CLEANERS

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and further verbal reports indicating possible progress towards resolving the complaint against our representative. We instruct the General Secretary to place a report in front of us as to progress within seven days.

We further instruct the General Secretary to ensure as a matter of urgency that our instructions in our previous decision on this matter on 17 July are carried out.

"We...believe that the judgment in Mihaj vs Sodexo may be very useful for members in other companies"

We note with concern the correspondence advising that Brother Mihaj had not received the payment ordered by the Employment Tribunal within the required timescale, but note that he has now received the payment.

We further note that Brother Mihaj was successful in his Employment Tribunal application on the grounds that his employer did not use discretion in his case despite the contract of employment stating that discretion applied. We note that many employers routinely act in a similar fashion, for example refusing payments or applying disciplinary sanctions without exercising the discretion the contract or policy includes.

We welcome the success of our representative Petrit Mihaj in winning the return of his deducted sick pay at Employment Tribunal. This vindicates our decision to pursue this case. We further note that Brother Mihaj and his representative are making constructive efforts to arrange his return to work.

However, following more than six months of suspension, Sodexho has now charged Petrit with misconduct, despite there having been no complaint made against him.

You can view the newsletter here. If you want to help out, then please download it using the link below the article, print it and hand it out to Sodexo canteen staff at your workplace.

The RMT is the only union campaigning for Sodexo canteen workers

RMT believes in direct employment of all catering staff. The appallingly low wages paid to sub-contracted caterers has already been described.

Talks have recently been held between the RMT and Sodexo. The company have committed to agree a voluntary recognition deal with the RMT if over 50% of Sodexo workers join the union. The RMT is the only union campaigning for Sodexo canteen workers.

RMT is organising to recruit more members who work as Cleaners and Canteen staff. We have a ballot coming up for ISS cleaners who's pay and benefits are woefully low for the hard work they do. At Sodexo the RMT is working hard to get recognition for the RMT,

This all depends on getting as many people signed up as possible. Remember cleaners and canteen staff can currently join the RMT for £1 a week.