RMT official circulars

From General Secretary Bob Crow I am writing to advise members that following further talks at ACAS, a final proposal was tabled over Olympic Recognition and Reward for London Underground members. A meeting took place with 150 of your representatives at the end of last week to consult on this offer and the General Grades Committee has decided the following:

“We note the overwhelming view of our representatives expressed at the meeting on Friday 25 May, and accordingly instruct the General Secretary to advise London Underground of our acceptance of the revised proposal. We note that as a result, our members will receive up to £1000 for Olympics working, none of which is dependent on changes to or breaches of agreements."

“Both of these disputes are about protecting our member’s jobs, working conditions and standards of living in the face of aggressive and bullying management tactics" - Bob Crow"

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has begun balloting service control centre and Ticket/ Gate line Maintenance engineers staff for strike action and action short of a strike in two separate disputes over jobs, pay and conditions of service.

Proposals by London Underground regarding the move of Piccadilly Line Service Control to Hammersmith Service Control Centre have raised a range of union concerns that the management refuse to address

From General Secretary Bob Crow

As you will be aware the Government’s Rail Command Paper demands massive savings at the expense of passengers and railway workers, whilst the privateers are being awarded even more powers and greater commercial freedom.

From General Secretary Bob Crow

You will be aware of the current proposals by London Underground regarding the move of Piccadilly Line Service Control to Hammersmith Service Control Centre. However we still have a substantial number of concerns over this process and believe service control staff and our representatives are being mistreated.

Our main areas of concern are as follows:

• The Wholesale job losses arising from the move to Hammersmith Service Control Centre
• The Non-payment of the Service Operator 3 rate of pay
  

Following the removal of 800 station staff posts by the company last year, I write to advise you that London Underground is to recruit another 600 Customer Service Advisors (CSA’s), coming on top of the 300 employed earlier this year. The company has been forced into this massive u-turn, and has now increased the number of jobs by 100, after savage cuts within the last year.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

Your negotiating team met with LUL under the auspices of ACAS yesterday. The company has not changed its financial offer, and has proposed that in the event of duties remaining uncovered by volunteers at any location, the level 1 committee will meet to resolve it. There is no proposal to change Framework Agreements.

From General Secretary Bob Crow

Please find attached an appeal from Amnesty International in respect of Haiti. I would be grateful if Branches could respond to this appeal for action.

from General Secretary Bob Crow

With reference to the above, I am aware that ASLEF representatives and officials around the country have apparently been asserting that they can organise and represent grades other than Drivers in Train Operating Companies and have been recruiting such staff, including existing RMT members.

Pro forma is attached below

By now most of you will have received a copy of an expression of interest form circulated by LUL asking Drivers to give their preferences for working additional shifts over the Olympic period, in breach of our framework agreements. This form claims its distribution has been agreed with the Trade Unions whereas only ASLEF has agreed. RMT continues to be in discussions with LUL over our claims for Olympic recognition and reward.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

RMT attended talks at ACAS with London Underground yesterday about Olympics working. Unfortunately, instead of going forward from the last wording agreed, management tried to change it by adding qualifications that appeared designed to tie us to agreements made by other unions. RMT could not accept this.