I have been elected as the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Officer for the London Transport Region at the recent Regional Council Meeting.
Anybody who has suggestions of the sort of things we can be doing in the London Transport Region, or wants to be involved please contact me via email here or leave a comment below.
T/Ops on the Bakerloo Line could not believe their luck, when in an all too rare show of altruism, management swept away the existing way of booking overtime and brought in a new improved system.
Openly weeping with joy an Bakerloo T/Op told us:
"The previous system was bonkers, and now thanks to Bakerloo management we don't have to endure the drudgery of - finishing late - picking up a phone and informing the desk DMT - then hanging up."
A Bakerloo manager informed us:
The 'Robin Hood Tax' campaign has been set up to gain support for a tax on financial institutions. The tax would be on all financial transactions at a rate of 0.5%. This could make around £250 000 000 tax revenue each year.
As taxation revenue was around £606bn in 2007/2008, an extra £250bn would help improve a lot of peoples lives
Standing up for all workers
Wednesday 10th February 2010
In your article titled TfL staff lobby bosses over pay offer (M Star February 3) Steve Hedley, RMT regional organiser, is totally correct in his assertion: "Unless people are prepared to take industrial action, this will keep happening."
The BBC is currently carrying out a survey asking for views on it's coverage of LGB people and issues.
The survey can be completed here.
Tube Lines, whose late completion of upgrade work on the Jubilee Line has resulted in numerous weekend closures, has had a claim for £327m in compensation to complete the work rejected by an independent adjudicator. Tube Lines attempted to claim the money from London Underground. It felt LU was to blame for the work not being completed on time as access to the track was not sufficient.
The stitch-up that led to the unfair dismissal of Fitz Chambers is as clear as day. Let’s look at the facts of the case:
A new Train Operations manager arrives at the Elephant from the District Line with a clear agenda to get the District’s unpopular and discredited “fixed links” system up and running on the Bakerloo.
Your RMT branch resolves to fight this attack on the successful and long running syndicates and this blatant attempt to undermine workers’ control in the depots.
The rumour mill in the depot mess rooms have been in overdrive recently, and in an attempt to offer some clarity to dispel the half truths, downright lies and anti worker propaganda, we have set out below the reasons management used to unfairly dismiss our 2 colleagues.
Fitz Chambers.
The charges relate to allegedly accepting a measly £40 and a cheap bottle of booze over a 4 year period. Let us be honest on this, does this really constitute gross misconduct? Is the giver of the gifts not as culpable as the alleged recipient?
RMT train driver members on the Bakerloo Line have returned a massive yes vote in the fight to defend 2 of our colleagues who were recently summarily dismissed. In a 50% turnout Elephant & Castle members voted a massive 10-1 in favour of strike action to defend Bro. Chambers and Queens Park returned a handsome 4-1 majority in defence of Bro. Miah. All Bakerloo drivers are urged to support the fight to reinstate both. There is a meeting on Thursday 14th January at 16:00 hours in the Clachan: nearest tube Oxford Cicus, to discuss what action we take next.
I have tabled these thoughts for discussion at today's Regional Council Executive meeting ...
For some time, I have been thinking over the potential benefits of enhancing the role of grades committees within the Region, and would like to schedule a discussion on the subject at this month's Regional Council Executive, with a view to circulating some firm proposals in good time for February's AGM. Here are some thoughts: