Service Control News, September 2020

PAY BANDS, 4LM, HSCC GRADING & MORE!
For many years, Service Control has been ticking on by quietly in the background but more and more we are finding Service Control are coming under attack. Whether it be attempts to undermine their terms and conditions with retired staff, cutting of numbers or reneging on ACAS agreements. The Service Control family has come together and decided enough is enough and now is the time to make a stand. With this in mind your reps have put together all the issues that have been left unresolved and prevalent for years and will be demanding change.

BOXING DAY & NEW YEAR PAY
RMT is demanding parity with Train Operators working on Boxing Day & New Year and to be appropriately rewarded for working on these special occasions. The fact Train Operators are given an extra sweetener and we aren’t even considered shows how valued we really are.

FIXED PAY BANDS
PRP has caused upset and un-equal pay for too long now and RMT are demanding for an end to it and the introduction of fixed pay bands for all. The fact that controllers work side by side doing the exact same job on different rates of pay is unacceptable.

RETIRED STAFF
RMT is 100% opposed to the return of retired staff on anything but current terms and conditions. We will not accept retired staff who return via any zero hour or agency style terms and conditions and will take whatever steps necessary to prevent this.

WORKLOAD IN SERVICE CONTROL
Every year has seen an increase in service across London Underground with all the challenges involved being passed from management to Service Control, not on one occasion has Service Control been thanked or rewarded for the added pressure this puts us all under.

NOT CONSULTING WITH OUR H&S REPS
In their infinite wisdom London Underground has been bypassing any sort of consultation with our Health & Safety representatives on a number of issues, this alone is a matter of industrial unrest not to mention the DRM and 4LM cuts they are carrying out with zero thought for Health & Safety.

4LM ACAS AGREEMENTS
DISPLACED STAFF
We are demanding the agreements made at the ACAS dispute resolution meetings are adhered to with displaced staff being given real career opportunities in a role that fulfils their career aspirations and goals. At this time LU want’s to place all Service Control staff unable to gain an immediate position at Hammersmith on the front of a train until they see fit with no other career pathways or routes back into Service Control.

PRIORITY RETURN TO SERVICE CONTROL
RMT want tried and tested solutions of ring-fencing Service Control vacancies to any displaced staff to be re-introduced; for LU to provide career development to anyone who is displaced due to 4LM and a priority path back into Service Control. We see this as an opportunity to support staff build on their Service Control experience and don’t feel it’s fair that their only route back into the role is on the 100 person waiting list for an SCL1 job at Hammersmith.

PROTECTED EARNING FOR LIFE
It should mean just that but under a completely un-agreed proposal by LU if you fail at Hammersmith on your SCL1 training then that agreement no longer applies. We believe this to be a stance by LU that they are reneging on the agreement and will not accept it.

HAMMERSMITH SCC PAY GRADING
The pay progression scheme introduced by LU at HSCC is completely unfit for purpose with not a single member of staff progressing along it or feeling safe to undertake the scheme with the mass expectations laid onto them by the company for it.

We are demanding a full review of pay and grading for all Service Control Staff at HSCC with the introduction of new higher grades to compliment the increased workload expected of staff in this control centre. This has been long overdue and the goodwill of staff keeping HSCC running has all but ran out.

HSCC SCL1 CUTS
With a mass of displacements for Service Control the last thing we were expecting was a cut of numbers being taken into the SCL1 grade at HSCC. However, we are now looking at a headcount cut of roughly 15 meaning even more stress for signallers on a completely new signalling system and a cut of available jobs by about 25% for staff facing displacement.

RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION – REP CUTS
Under LU plans there will only be 3 part time RMT reps to cover the whole of Service Control. This will mean members won’t have any access to any local representation and the end of any local negotiations and protection of members. This attack on rep numbers is yet another attempted blow in an ongoing attack of your trade union rights and working terms and conditions. This along with the return of retired staff could see Service Control becoming part of the zero hour gig economy in no time with these ever harsher attacks on your rights and employment conditions.