Dear Colleagues,

DEFENDING JOBS, PENSIONS & AGREEMENTS - LONDON UNDERGROUND / TRANSPORT FOR LONDON (LUL/14/2 & TFL/14/2)

You will know from media reports and previous communications RMT has sent out to members that your union has been seeking for some time now assurances on a number of matters which could have a huge impact on all members at both London Underground and Transport for London. It is the view of your union that the proposals which have been put forward through various forums and discussions will lead to job cuts and unacceptable casualised working practices.

Further, the pension reviews, which was set up by management to attack RMT members' pension rights, continue to develop proposals that could increase members' contributions, cut members' benefits and undermine the security of the scheme going forward. Your Regional Organiser has set out this union's demands to LU/TfL management, seeking assurances that

• There will be no detrimental changes made to our pension arrangements
• There will be no reduction in headcount
• There will be no changes made to our main or subsidiary agreements (frameworks and working arrangements)

To date, LU/TfL management have failed to give these assurances and therefore the matter has been considered by your union's National Executive Committee which has instructed me to:

• Inform LUL and TfL that we are in dispute with them over these matters
• Conduct a ballot of all members in both TfL and LUL as a matter of urgency

I wrote to LUL/TfL reiterating the demands set out by your Regional Organiser. Disappointingly we have not been provided with the unequivocal assurances that we'd sought, and which would have provided a modicum of security and respect for members who have kept London moving throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic. Instead, LUL/TfL's response to the demands were so heavily qualified as to utterly fail to provide the basic commitments which could have averted a dispute.

Shortly after LUL/TfL had failed to provide satisfactory assurances to your union, they had already moved to announce plans to cut 600 staff posts in what is likely to be the beginning of a whole programme of cuts, beginning with safety critical Station Grades.

Now more than ever it is vital that members demonstrate to management that attacks on our jobs, pensions and agreements won't be tolerated, and to respond with a massive 'YES' vote for industrial action. Ballot papers were dispatched on Monday 13th December 2021 and the ballot will close on Monday 10th January 2022.

The fight now must be taken to London Underground and Transport for London management. It is time for the bosses to stop attacking those who kept London moving through the pandemic and respect staff. And now is the time for your union to defend RMT members and to defend jobs, pensions and all agreements we have with your employers.

I urge you all to vote 'YES' to strike action and 'YES' to action short of a strike to ensure a strong a mandate as possible and to prevent the short-sighted and damaging agenda of cuts management are currently on-course to pursue.

I trust this keeps you fully advised and I will inform branches of any further developments on this issue.