Transport for London

Admin CDI Note Taking
On Tuesday May 14th the Reps attended a MATS Functional Council meeting. The RMT was the union that put this on the agenda. At the meeting we were able to highlight the pressing issues around CDI note taking. The Reps pointed out how Admin were being told they had to take part in the pilot scheme and we insisted that this was voluntary and was not part of your role or job description.

A demonstration is being held to fight to stop the staff cuts at The London Transport Museum.

Whilst the museum holds an event - "Brightest London" it is dark days for the staff; as the face the threat of unemployment!

We welcome the resolution from our London Transport Regional Council, and share its firm opposition to the TfL Pension Fund suspending transfers into the fund. This decision threatens the stability of the Fund and removes important rights from some of our members.

We also agree that ‘suspending’ a rule for six years is an undemocratic manoeuvre to avoid the process of changing the rules.

We note the report, which clearly illustrates the benefits of membership of the TfL Pension Fund as opposed to inferior, defined-contribution pension schemes that have been established by many employers operating under contract or franchise from TfL.

We note that:

• Many companies now offer pension schemes that are significantly inferior to the TfL Fund.
• Many of the workers concerned - eg. cleaners, canteen staff - would have worked for TfL (or its
  predecessor, London Transport) had they been employed prior to contracting-out, so would have been
  members of the TfL Fund.

We note the interim statement from the Law Commission on its consideration of taxi and private hire
legislation.

We welcome the indication that the Commission will recommend retaining the distinction between taxis and
private hire vehicles (PHVs). We are concerned, however, that the replacement of the concept of ‘plying for hire’ with the concept of ‘pre-booking’ may dilute this distinction and allow private hire vehicles to encroach on taxi drivers’ work. (paragraph 5)

TUBE UNION RMT said today that staff sacked from London Underground’s “Trainpeople” agency contract will be stepping up their fight for jobs and justice following the termination of the deal which has dumped 33 staff on the dole, making a mockery of regulations which were supposed to protect the employment rights of agency staff.

The staff will be taking their fight to Transport for London with a protest in support of “Justice for the 33”at the HQ building Windsor House, Victoria Street on Monday 15th April 2013 between 0800 hours and 1000 hours.

We note the correspondence from Transport for London, refusing our request for an independent review of the situation at Occupational Health. We instruct the General Secretary to ensure that this matter is pursued fully through the machinery of negotiation and should this prove fruitless, to refer it to ACAS.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

We note the report from our Regional Organiser and the documentation on file.

This union completely rejects the proposal to reduce staffing at the London Transport Museum by six full-time-equivalent posts. We reiterate our opposition to all moves to cut jobs at this essential cultural and historical asset, whether the employer intends to achieve this through compulsory redundancy, voluntary severance or any other method.

Staff at the London transport Museum are fighting the loss of up to 9 posts at London Transport Museum. These figures were discovered by reps when presented as a part of a business case. This is an insult to those at risk of loosing their livelihood.

We are planning a raft of demos, lobbies and leafletting....can you help?

Demo
London Transport Museum - Stop the staff cuts!
17.00 - 18.30 Monday 25 March,
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza

Lobby
TfL Board - Have a heart - give back the grant. Stop the staff cuts!

RAIL UNION RMT today challenged London Mayor Boris Johnson to come out and publicly support a union-led campaign for the Crossrail fleet to be built in Britain or risk the kind of delays that have dogged plans to build the Thameslink trains in Germany, a scandal which has dragged back the national fleet replacement programme by three years.

Last week, TFL and the DFT confirmed that the Crossrail fleet will be wholly procured by the cheaper and more efficient route of public financing, an open recognition that the public/private finance model is unable to deliver on time and on price.