Defending and improving conditions

We note the report from our lead officer. While welcoming the reintegration of some Tube Lines staff into LUL and TfL, we are disappointed that some will remain in Tube Lines, and appalled that the companies plan not to allow transferring staff to join the TfL Pension Scheme.

This is an attack not just on these members’ rights but on the security of the pensions of all other staff.

We instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report on how we might progress our fight over this issue, and to place it in front of us within 14 days.

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and accordingly declare this union in dispute with ISS on these matters, including:

• ‘Bradford Factor’ attendance rules
• new rostering, extending the unpaid break in the middle of the shift from 30 minutes
  to 45, 60 or even 75 minutes
• biometric booking on, including for agency staff
• non-payment of the increased London Living Wage until six months after the uprating

We note the correspondence from Transport for London and the report from our Regional Organiser. We instruct the General Secretary to obtain and place in front of us confirmation as to whether this new ‘consistent application’ of long service and retirement awards causes detriment to any of our members, and whether the sums of money involved have kept pace with the cost of living.

The union supports consistent application of policies across TfL, so long as this is on the basis of levelling-up of benefits to our members.

Admin CDI note taking

We understand that management are trying to use the word ‘flexibility’ within your contract to get around the volunteering for this role. We believe this is not acceptable and we will take legal advice on this. The issue has been raised among the RMT senior reps and they are aware of our position in which as we have said before we do not recommend anyone volunteers to undertake this role.

'Reintegration' brings new threat to pensions and conditions

RMT has slammed plans to transfer some Tube Lines clerical and project staff back in-house to TfL and London Underground without pension or travel facilities, and has threatened industrial action to defend the terms and conditions of its members.

Tube union RMT has slammed plans to transfer some Tube Lines clerical and project staff back in-house to London Underground without pension or travel facilities and has threatened industrial action to defend the terms and conditions of its members.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that while proposals to re-integrate some staff into LUL may sound positive after the long-running PPP Tube privatisation fiasco, the 700 or so staff involved would not be allowed to join the TfL pension fund.

We note the report from our Trains Council representatives, and note the following issues regarding
London Underground’s new S stock:

• the inadequate time allowance for the drivers’ train preparation
• cross-line working by C&H drivers on the Metropolitan line under the new timetable to be introduced in May
• the removal of train maintenance at Hammersmith depot and the impact of this on train movement
• the length of time between drivers being trained and actually driving the new trains
• the absence of Defective In Service Instructions (DISI) for the S stock

These motions were passed at the LTRC in march 2013.

Thermal wear - Finsbury Park branch
"This region notes that London Underground’s uniform issue to front-line staff is not fit for purpose. Staff are issued with almost the same uniform, no matter what the weather conditions
are, all year round.

TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that tube drivers on the Jubilee Line, working out of the Stratford and Greenwich depots, are to be balloted for industrial action in a dispute over bullying of staff through the misuse of procedures and an appalling decline in the standard of working conditions.

In a letter to London Underground setting out the reasons for the dispute, RMT has highlighted:

• The unfair and disproportionate treatment of Drivers in disciplinaries
• Many facilities on the Jubilee line being in a very poor and in some cases a “disgusting” state
  

We note the report of the well-attended meeting of our London Underground / Tube Lines ISS representatives on 20 February 2013.

The meeting identified several attacks on working conditions in addition to pay issues:

• ‘Bradford Factor’ attendance rules
• new rostering, extending the unpaid break in the middle of the shift from 30 minutes to 45, 60 or even 75 minutes
• biometric booking on, including for agency staff