RMT press releases

RAIL UNION RMT today announced that it has secured the latest in a line of Olympics bonus payments – this time a breakthrough-deal for cleaners working on the Virgin/Alstom West Coast Cleaning Contract for VOITH industrial services.

The agreement – covering the Olympics and Paralympics period – means that all hourly paid staff will receive a bonus payment of £400.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"Despite an increasing workload this summer as we head towards the Olympics the staff running the London cycle hire scheme are facing a bullying management who are imposing outrageous changes to conditions" - Bob Crow

TRANSPORT UNION RMT confirmed today that it is to ballot staff running the London “Boris Bike’s” for both strike action and action short of a strike over a range of grievances:

1. Imposition of changes to working hours and shift patterns which have been unanimously rejected by our members.
2. No offer of any financial reward for working during the Olympics, despite the big increased in workload and the Games’ organisers’ promotion of cycling during the event.
3. The unfair and draconian attendance policy.

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has reached an agreement with London Underground over Olympics recognition and reward.

After months of intensive negotiations RMT has reached an agreement that protects existing agreements and allows staff to work within the terms of their existing contracts.

There will also be additional rewards packages of up to £1000 for staff in recognition of the massive additional pressures that will be thrown at the service from the extra three million journeys a day.

Transport union RMT today slammed leaked reports that venture capitalist, Tory-funder and Cameron oppo Adrian Beecroft is preparing to publish a study recommending a full-frontal attack on workplace rights.

Beecroft, who has funded the Tories to the tune of a half a million pounds, has been set up by Cameron to be his out-rider for attacking worker’s rights in the same way that McNulty was tasked with doing a similar number on the railways.

RAIL UNION RMT today published leaked internal documents showing that London Midland plan to profit to the tune of £1.25 million a year from their programme of savage cuts to ticket offices and staffing levels.

London Midland are blazing a trail for the McNulty plans to axe ticket offices and eliminate station staff and, as RMT have exposed from leaked Department of Transport emails, are doing so in direct collusion with the Government.

RMT ACTIVISTS from London Underground are proud to have initiated a public meeting “Resistance – the Best Olympic Spirit” with one of the two athletes who featured in arguably the most iconic image from the modern history of the games, John Carlos who raised a gloved fist along with his comrade Tommie Smith on the podium in Mexico in 1968.

RMT ACTIVISTS from London Underground are proud to have initiated a public meeting “Resistance – the Best Olympic Spirit” with one of the two athletes who featured in arguably the most iconic image from the modern history of the games, John Carlos who raised a gloved fist along with his comrade Tommie Smith on the podium in Mexico in 1968.

TUBE UNION RMT revealed today that senior reps have been informed that LUL are to recruit a further 600 Customer Service Advisors (CSA’s), coming on top of the 300 employed earlier this year and following the deletion of 800 station staff posts by the company last year.

RMT says that the recruitment of the latest wave of additional staff is an outright admission that they got their station staffing cuts programme wrong and that if they had listened to the union in the first place they could have saved themselves a huge amount of disruption and embarrassment.

RAIL UNION RMT today reaffirmed its total opposition to “workfare” schemes on the railways, where claimants are forced to work for benefits, after suggestions emerged that Southern may be engaging in such a scheme.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“RMT is investigating reports from our branches that Southern may be in the process of rolling out a “workfare” scheme and we are demanding assurances from the company that any such plan would be dropped immediately.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded an independent investigation into London Underground maintenance and staffing cuts after photographic evidence emerged suggesting that the train that hit the buckled lining on the Bakerloo Line in Thursday mornings rush hour came within inches of being ripped open like a sardine can with potentially lethal consequences.

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it is to begin balloting tube cleaners working for ISS and Initial for both strike action and action short of a strike in disputes over pay, pensions and benefits.

RMT is demanding that the cleaners, who do some of the dirtiest jobs often in appalling conditions to keep the tube running, should receive in return:

• A substantial, above inflation Pay Increase
• A substantial Olympic Bonus, in line with the payments offered to LOROL staff
• A Sick Pay Scheme
• Free Travel Passes for All
• Improvements to the Pension Scheme