Agency workers

Further to my previous correspondence, I would like to congratulate you for supporting your union and taking industrial action, in defence of your pension. This attack on your pension is clearly intolerable and represents the future strategy of TfL management and is a threat to all members in the pension fund regardless of company or grade.

In order to put pressure on the company your Executive committee after consulting with your representatives has decided to call the following industrial action:-

Tube union RMT confirmed today that ballot papers have been despatched to London Underground member’s in a strike vote of all staff over LU’s use of agency staff and the casualisation and downgrading of existing jobs across the network.

RMT is certain that part of the hidden cuts package being drawn up in secret by LU chiefs includes a specific programme to extend and expand the use of casualised, agency staff into all possible areas of the tube network on a rolling basis.

Rail union RMT said today that it is stepping up the campaign against attempts by agencies, notably Trainpeople, to force their way into the rail industry with the express intent of profiteering at the expense of jobs, security and decent pay and conditions.

RMT branches in Wales have alerted the union to the fact that there is a new drive by Trainpeople to try and get a foot in the door through an aggressive marketing approach to railway employers. The union has pledged again to fight off any attempts by Trainpeople, or similar agencies, to downgrade and casualise rail jobs.

We note the continuing widespread use of agency labour by London Underground Ltd (and other parts of Transport for London): as of 2 April this year, there were 829 'non-permanent' staff on London Underground Ltd. LUL’s continuing use and abuse of agency staff is seriously detrimental to LUL employees, as it undermines their opportunities to obtain and retain work and creates disruption in the workplace Ltd. We reaffirm our demand that LUL stops using agencies and offers their workers permanent employment - including those of the 33 former Trainpeople employees that it has not yet employed.

Please help by downloading the poster below and displaying it in your workplace.

Please come and support rmt members who worked for over 5 years on lul but have now been dropped by after being promised permanent jobs.

WHEN - Every Monday Morning 08.30

WHERE - From London Bridge Station, Tooley Street Entrance to City Hall

USED
London Underground Management were happy to have these hardworking staff working on the Under-ground for many years

ABUSED

RMT has produced a newsletter on agency working, describing the numerous issues with being employed by an agency, why that suits the bosses, and how it risks the jobs of workers on permanent contracts.

In this newsletter:

• Sack the agencies - not the workers
• The harsh facts about agencies
• Justice for the Trainpeople 33
• Bring All Agency Trackworkers Into Permanent Direct Lu In-house Employment!
• Halting the spread of agency work

We note the report and correspondence on file, and are disgusted by Trainpeople’s failure to pay its former employees' wages in full. The agency is legally obliged to do so, regardless of whether and when the hirer company, London Underground Ltd, paid fees to the agency, Trainpeople.co.uk. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to provide these members with all the documentation in our possession that may assist with their legal case.

We note the report from our lead officer.

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and the feedback from our branches. We endorse his view that an important principle is at stake and that London Underground members can be convinced to take a stand on this issue.

London Underground's continuing use and abuse of agency staff is seriously detrimental to LUL employees, as it undermines their opportunities to obtain and retain work and creates disruption in the workplace. We therefore declare a trade dispute with London Underground Ltd, demanding that it cease the use of agencies and offer permanent, direct employment to agency workers, including those formerly supplied by Trainpeople.