I received an email today from 'Tube Worker' with a flyer attached urging ASLEF members to reject the pay deal as it stands.
The Tube Worker Leaflet is available to view or download here.
The Bakerloo Line between QPK & SPK is to be shut down over the Xmas and New Year period.
And with the record of recent line shut downs, we are worried.
Very worried.
No thought seems to have been given to the safety of T/Ops and Station staff having to yomp from booking on at QPK DT up to SPK.
On the replacement bus service.
With scores of potentially irate drunken punters who have just been turfed off the combine at Queens Park
The Communication Workers Union's postal worker members were due to go on strike again today. However an interim agreement, announced last week, was reached between CWU and Royal Mail to postpone action. This video from www.cwutv.org explains the detail of the agreement.
David Ward, The Deputy General Secretary of CWU comments "There is no doubt that the strength of support from postal workers in the strikes has made Royal Mail think again. They have made significant concessions this week that are clear for everybody to see. Those concessions have allowed us to suspend strike action and work towards a full and final agreement."
Under RMT's rule book, a member could only stand for election as a delegate to the union's Annual General Meeting (AGM) once s/he had been a member for five years. Many union branches felt that this rule was unfair and out-of-date, and submitted a proposal to last Friday's Special Meeting to reduce the qualifying period to three years.
I am pleased to report that, following a lively debate and a close vote, the proposal was passed. Printed below is the speech I made in proposing the rule change, which outlines the reasons and arguments behind the change.
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It seems as though a sensible decision has been made, as it was announced this week that Metronet will remain under the management of LUL. It's recent transition to LUL had been on a temporary basis but will now be ongoing. The Department for Transport has a press release on this issue:
Unite are to ballot their members at LU over the current pay offer. Unite have 600 members in LU, working in areas such as maintenance and safety. Unite members recently decided two to one that a ballot for industrial action was the way forward.
Unite say their ballot will coincide with the RMT’s ballot of its members on the pay issue. Unite anticipate that any resulting industrial action would be co-ordinated with the RMT.
On Wednesday 21st October the Bakerloo branch recruitment and retention team hit the Oxford Circus group, dishing out the latest newsletter, badges, keyrings and other goodies. We got to talk to people about the upcoming ballot for strike action and signed two new members up to the RMT.
I just found this video over at the RMT website about the importance of all grades sticking together. I started work with LU on the stations and now work as a train driver. I'm often asked why I don't now join a single grades union and this video states clearly the answer to that and why we need to stand together.
Update: A 'Charter Convention' is being held in Camden on Saturday 21st November, Bob Crow among others will be speaking. Details here.
I just signed up to The People's Charter. A charter laying out a vision of what I would describe to be a fairer Britain. The charter lays out a number of aims. These include tight regulation of the banking sector and fairer taxation in order to ensure wealth is distributed more fairly, decent homes for all, renationalisation of key services such as transport, water and energy and other key areas where intervention could close the wealth gap in society and ensure everyone has a decent standard of living.
I use RSS or 'Really Simple Syndication' to keep an eye on certain areas of this site - be it news about London Underground disputes, or blog entries from my rep. However, many people don't know what it is or how to use it - so I thought it may be of interest or use to some of you for me to have a go at explaining it here.