Dear RMT Member

4-DAY WORKING WEEK & TRAINS FUNCTIONAL COUNCIL REPRESENTATION - LONDON UNDERGROUND

As you know, the strike action which had been scheduled for last week was suspended to allow further negotiations in obtaining clarity on what management's position is on protecting those drivers who do not wish to accept new terms and conditions to enter into the compressed four-day week arrangements.

Your Regional Organiser, accompanied by the functional negotiating team, have met twice with management where the employer summarised its position that has since been formally received in correspondence, and LUL has failed to adequately address the points raised by RMT.

The negotiating team had made clear during the discussions with management that RMT could consider further discussions on the terms of the four-day proposal on the basis that no driver would lose their rostered position or depot as a result of opting out of the compressed week and that this assurance would remain while RMT and LUL continue to discuss these matters. Further, RMT insisted that talks should proceed at an appropriate level and not at Trains Functional Council (TFC) where the process is one of discussing implementation in a forum where RMT, representing the majority position of all drivers, is outnumbered by 15 to 3 by management and the other union. Further, we asked LUL to immediately make a proposal to Company Council to increase the number of RMT local reps to give parity of local reps between the two unions. LUL failed to respond positively to any of these points.

The company continues to insist that clarification on what constitutes a voluntary approach must continue at functional level. None of the assurances sought, in this respect, have been given. Management continues to stand by their position that no improvements in the terms of the compressed working arrangements can be made. After 15 months of ignoring our demand for parity of reps at local and functional level, management continues to refuse to consider changes saying they need time to consider data release requests before taking a position on local rep levels. Management has proposed an oversight group to plan discussions at TFC. However, they clarified, in our meetings, that all substantive discussion on the terms or the compressed working arrangements would continue at TFC and the oversight group would simply discuss timetables and agendas for those meetings.

With management's position remaining unchanged, your Regional Organiser reported that those attending a meeting of local reps yesterday expressed fury at this and stated that we have no alternative but to continue with the planned strike action next week. Your National Executive Committee (NEC) has endorsed this position.

To remind you, therefore, members are instructed NOT TO BOOK ON for any shifts that commence between:

·00:01 hours until 23:59 hours on Tuesday 2nd June 2026

·00:01 hours until 23:59 hours on Thursday 4th June 2026

I can also advise you that your NEC has instructed me to write to your employer expressing our profound disappointment at the company's refusal to meet the reasonable requests of our members in relation to the proposed compressed 4-day week arrangement and its failure to engage meaningfully in resolving this dispute.

Additionally, your NEC has also requested from your Regional Organiser a report on further proposed action.

I trust this keeps you updated for now and expect that your and your colleagues will display another show of strength and solidarity during the strike action next week.

Yours sincerely,

Eddie Dempsey
General Secretary