RMT press releases

London Underground Sodexo staff balloted in union victimisation dispute

Staff working for London Underground caterers Sodexo are to be balloted for both strike action and action short of a strike over the victimisation and dismissal of union activist Petrit Mihaj.

Petrit has been a major force in building union organisation on the LUL Sodexo depot catering contract and has been instrumental in securing union recognition and delivering improvements in pay and conditions and effective representation of staff.

London Underground were today notified that we are in dispute and all LUL Fleet members will be balloted for industrial action over the appalling treatment of LU Fleet member Brother Ainsley McKoy.

Brother McKoy has had disciplinary action instigated against him by a COO manager outside their sphere of influence, without any involvement or input from Fleet management. We believe this has serious implications across the whole of Fleet and in particular Call Point Train Maintainers where a manager in another function can feel at liberty to discipline a Fleet member.

RMT members working for Tube Lines in the Permanent Way Department (track) on the Jubilee Line are being balloted for both strike action and action short of a strike from today in a dispute over the withdrawal of rest days, the union confirmed this morning.

The dispute, which has massive implications for the Jubilee Line services, is over an all-out attack by the management on properly rostered and agreed time off away from work. The removal of rest days would wreck the work/life balance of staff and effectively leave them at the beck and call of their managers.

Tube strike action on as London Underground reject RMT proposals
Tube strike action starting this evening, over the closure of ticket office and the axing of safety-critical jobs, is on after London Underground management rejected a series of proposals from RMT negotiators that could have created the grounds for a suspension.
At talks convened through ACAS this morning, RMT set out a whole series of grounds which would have allowed progress to be made, the whole package was rejected out of hand by the London Underground management.

RMT Acting General Secretary Mick Cash said:

RMT declares new tube strike dates as London Underground wreck talks and confirm even worse cuts to jobs, services and safety

RMT to ballot for action on pay, jobs, cuts and Driver Only Operation on Heathrow Express
RAIL UNION RMT today announced that it is to begin balloting staff this week across Heathrow Express for industrial action in response to a package of multi-million pound cuts which amount to an all-out assault on pay, jobs and safety. Ballot papers will be sent out tomorrow and the ballot – for both strike action and action short of a strike - will close on 15th April.

RMT’s executive committee has appointed Mick Cash as acting general secretary to continue the work of the union following the untimely death of Bob Crow.

Acting general secretary Mick Cash said that Bob Crow’s vision for the union would continue along with its industrial and political agenda as decided by RMT’s democratic structures.

“It has been a difficult time for the union but we are determined to remain united in the way that Bob would have wanted,” he said.

New figures obtained by the Labour Group on the GLA and released today show a net increase in total transactions at tube ticket offices from 7.418 million in 2012 to 7.577 million in 2013 – making a nonsense of claims that the booking offices are in decline and some sort of relic from the past.

The latest figures come hot on the tail of other research which has exposed the fact that David Cameron’s claim in Parliament that “only 3% of transactions now involve ticket offices” is totally misleading and disingenuous .

Tube Union RMT confirmed today that a ballot of members across London Underground in a dispute over jobs, services and safety has recorded a massive vote for both strike action and action short of a strike.

In the “Every Job Matters” dispute, RMT members have voted by 77% for strike action and by an even bigger majority for action short of a strike. The results will now be considered by a meeting of the union’s executive.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

Tube Union RMT confirmed today that following a ballot of members across London Underground in a dispute over jobs, services and safety that recorded a massive vote for both strike action and action short of a strike members are instructed to take action as follows:

• Members to cease work between 12.00 hours on 4th February until 11.59 hours on 6th February. Driver members not to book on for any shifts between those hours.