Former Metronet Cuts

Submitted by Admin on 19 June, 2009 - 19:40

Key media commentators are now accepting RMT’s calculation that the total financial black hole facing TfL/LUL is pushing £5 billion with 3000 jobs at risk. This week we exposed £60 million of maintenance cuts on former Metronet lines. We achieved widespread coverage for our case that these cuts are the tip of the iceberg with far worse to come if we don’t stand up and fight.

It’s this financial crisis which is driving the industrial relations strategy at TfL and LUL and which goes right to the heart of the current disputes with the employers.

TfL and LUL Senior Managers' Pay

Submitted by Admin on 19 June, 2009 - 19:19

We have learnt that TfL’s annual report, due to be published next week, will confirm that the number of senior managers earning over £100,000 a year has gone up from 123 to 163 in the past year, an increase of nearly one third. If you include Metronet and Crossrail, which is now part of TfL, the number of managers earning six figures plus goes up to 231. These figures don’t even include the huge sums that are being paid out to management consultants.

RMT Rebuttal of Boris Johnson’s comments on cleaners on the London Underground

Submitted by Admin on 19 June, 2009 - 19:16

The RMT has been advised that Jenny Jones AM pressed Boris Johnson on Wednesday at Mayor’s Question Time that TfL should meet with Tubelines and RMT on the London Living Wage.

He reportedly responded that there were 50 cleaners who were not in receipt of the London Living Wage but that has now been resolved satisfactorily.

New Ticket Office Procedures Handbooks - We need your feedback

Submitted by 1913 Lockout on 19 June, 2009 - 15:49

We have been negotiating with LUL on the new New Ticket Office Procedures Handbooks for over a year now and they have been introduced without due consideration to our comments and concerns. We have real fears that the original TOPH is being watered down to make it easier to reduce ticket office hours, close ticket offices and get rid of SAMF and SS jobs.

LUL/TfL: Paying Out to Aggrieved Employees

Submitted by Admin on 19 June, 2009 - 09:39

The shocking figures below show Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground Ltd (LUL)'s total spend fighting employee Employment Tribunal claims from August 2004 to the end of 2008 (not including cost of staff and management time and TfL/LUL operational resources).

These illustrate two things:

  • Firstly, the extent of employee grievances against their employers, vindicating RMT's allegations of systematic mistreatment of staff, on of the three issues in our current dispute with LUL.

Strike Impact

Submitted by Admin on 19 June, 2009 - 09:39

The truth of the success of the 48 hour strike last week is starting to get through. Tonight’s Standard, the paper at the forefront of hostility to RMT, reports that:

“There was widespread disruption across the capital. Although London Underground was able to operate some trains, on most lines this was often limited to shuttle services.”

RoadTransport.com reported that:

Talks Latest ...

Submitted by Admin on 18 June, 2009 - 11:13

Talks will reconvene at ACAS on Friday afternoon.

This will mainly consist of exchanging of documents, and will therefore may not result in immediate concrete progress. Further talks will take place next week.

RMT wants to see progress in talks and would prefer to see an agreement reached that avoids the need for further strikes. However, the union will call more action should management refuse to address our members' concerns about jobs, pay and justice.

RMT Tube Message is Getting Through

Submitted by Admin on 16 June, 2009 - 14:24

Dear Colleague,

Following a barrage of relentless media attacks on RMT last week, much of which was based on distortions and downright lies, there are signs that our message is starting to get through.

In tonight’s Standard, the paper at the forefront of hostility to RMT, their columnist Simon Jenkins has written a piece titled “Blame Greedy Bosses For The Great Tube Mess”. While we would dispute much of Jenkins’ analysis, he has picked up on at least some of the messages that RMT has been pumping out.

On senior tube bosses pay: