This leaflet urges RMT members working for TfL to vote Yes in the industrial action ballot over pay and job security. Click '1 attachment'/file name to download it. Read the text below.

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Dear Comrades

Although this is a situation that may be completely new to a lot of you, because of TfL’s total intransigence on this year’s pay claim and the spectre of thousands of job cuts over the next couple of years, the RMT in support of its members has taken the decision to ballot for industrial action.

This decision has not been taken lightly. It is the culmination of many branch meetings across TfL, and following management and Trade Union meetings at the company council.

Pay

On management’s insistence the Trade Unions were asked to submit their pay claims for this year by November 2008. The sole purpose for this demand was that TfL believed that inflation would rise drastically and therefore wanted to sort out pay before this occurred, thus hoping to keep pay down. Because the opposite has happened, with RPI (Retail Price Index) now at approximately zero, they are playing a different game to penalise their staff. Believing that RPI will soon drop below the zero mark, in LU they are offering RPI plus 1% for year one, followed by RPI for the next 4 years. This is not even a standing still offer – it is effectively a pay cut, even more so if RPI falls further as is expected

Across the rest of TfL, management are not even putting any counter proposals to the TU’s! They are basically ignoring the pay claim for all staff, whatever TU they are in!

The RMT believes that this is an insult to a loyal workforce. RPI is so low at the moment due to the drop in prices of luxury items such as cars etc. and the slump in housing – not the real prices that you pay for everyday items such as food (approx 9% inflation) and gas and electricity. We have all felt the effects of these increases and cannot afford five years of paying for the mistakes of Government and bankers. If money can be found to bail out banks to the tune of billions, the money is there to fund the wages of the staff who keep the transport system of London running. You have all seen the vast sums of money paid to the top management across TfL. Perhaps if we were on those wages we could afford a pay cut – but we are not! The books must be opened to independent scrutiny.

Job Losses

Management are planning up to 60 OCPs with the loss of ca. 2000 jobs across TfL over the next couple of years. However, at this moment in time Management are refusing to inform the unions which departments will be affected, as was done by LU in their recent OCR.

The OCP ‘agreement’ across TfL was signed up to by the TSSA and effectively gives the management the right to make compulsory redundancies if you cannot find another position in TfL after being placed in the redeployment ‘pool’.
Where will these job offers come from when there are cuts on this scale being planned? We know how terrible it is to face having to apply for our own job, and then the possibility of being told that you weren’t capable on a manager’s whim, at an interview!

This time the argument is across the whole of TfL and LU and we can have the strength to fight back.

The Ballot – Vote YES

We need to stand firm with our comrades across TfL, LUL and Metronet to ensure that we are not seen as the weakest link by management and can therefore be treated as such when it comes to pay and job losses. Ballot papers will be sent to members from 20 March and must be returned by 10 April. Please make sure you vote for this action, a big turn out is necessary to show management that we are sticking together. Unity is strength!

For the latest information on this log on to www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk

To Join the RMT log on to www.rmt.org.uk or call 0800 376 3706