Cycle Hire Scheme

At this month's London Transport Regional Council Meeting, reports were given by our Executive member Janine Booth and Regional Organiser John Leach.

These are just notes of the areas discussed - to find out more, have a look through this site, speak to your local rep and do your best to attend branch meetings and the LTRC meeting which is held on the last Thursday of each month except June and December.

Meeting Agenda

We note the material on file regarding our organising efforts on the London Cycle Hire Scheme, in which a majority of workers joined RMT, only for the employer and Community to spike our right to recognition by signing a single-union deal in breach of TUC principles.

We note that this union has raised this matter formally with the TUC, and refer this issue to our Council of Executives to monitor progress with this.

We note the views of our branch, Regional Organiser and representatives, and agree that the way forward is to pursue our organising plan rather than to take industrial action at this time.

London Transport Regional Council and Camden 3 branch to be advised.

Updated on 26th July - please ensure you are using the latest version

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the new issue of our 'RMT London Calling' newsletter, our second Olympics special, reporting on: Olympics agreements won by RMT so far; strikes by cleaners, bike hire and TfL staff; action short of strikes on London Underground; the Olympics security crisis; and more.

We note the report from our Regional Organiser and the unanimous view of our representatives that we should suspend the industrial action we have notified to start on Friday 27 July. Our campaigning has led to the company offering a £500 pounds Olympic bonus, and our representatives, branch and Organising Unit have drawn up a plan for recruiting new members and getting information to existing members. We further note that a members’ meeting will be held within two weeks.

The Cycle Hire Scheme action is suspended following an offer - more details here.

The dates for the TfL action have been changed - more details here.

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today confirmed industrial action on South West Trains, Serco "Boris Bikes" and TFL in continuing disputes over Olympics recognition and reward.

That we note the result of the ballot for strikes is as follows:-

RMT response on Serco "Boris bikes" Olympics payment.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said;

"There is no Olympics payment agreement for the vast majority of the Serco bikes staff who are members of the RMT and we remain in dispute with the company.

"RMT is by far the biggest union on the Boris bikes and regardless of what others might be saying the issue of recognition is being dealt with by the TUC disputes procedure and we are continuing to both recruit and to fight for a fair deal for the Serco Barclays workforce for the Olympics and beyond."

General Secretary Bob crow said:

"There is no Olympics payment agreement for the vast majority of the Serco bikes staff who are members of the RMT and we remain in dispute with the company.

"RMT is by far the biggest union on the Boris bikes and regardless of what others might be saying the issue of recognition is being dealt with by the TUC disputes procedure and we are continuing to both recruit and to fight for a fair deal for the Serco Barclays workforce for the Olympics and beyond. "

"Despite an increasing workload this summer as we head towards the Olympics the staff running the London cycle hire scheme are facing a bullying management who are imposing outrageous changes to conditions" - Bob Crow

TRANSPORT UNION RMT confirmed today that it is to ballot staff running the London “Boris Bike’s” for both strike action and action short of a strike over a range of grievances:

1. Imposition of changes to working hours and shift patterns which have been unanimously rejected by our members.
2. No offer of any financial reward for working during the Olympics, despite the big increased in workload and the Games’ organisers’ promotion of cycling during the event.
3. The unfair and draconian attendance policy.