Drivers’ meeting / Vinci strike suspended

RMT news – Essential reading for today ’s transport worker RMT organisers made a visit to the recently organised Ffestiniog railway during an organising week by the North West regional councils to see how members were getting on. It became clear by talking to staff and management that work was required to build membership, rep structures and clarify current agreements. The union took on board the issues at a review meeting and devised a plan to deal with them. This included regular sub-branch meetings, continued visits by recruitment teams, election and training of reps, the setting up of a committee and ongoing recruitment. Four new reps have been elected to represent the workshop, S&T and P/Way. Regular meetings are taking place to explain the benefits of RMT membership, especially concerning Health and Safety. Many of the volunteers, who work alongside the full-time employees, are showing solidarity with their colleagues and joining the union. Regional Council Secretary Alan Aitkenhead said that the value of the organising week was shown when the union was able to explain the benefits of membership and identify previously unknown problems. “This allowed us to organise an ongoing campaign, which we believe will lead to a new self sustained, organised and effective branch being set up at Ffestiniog for the benefit of all on this historic railway, which has being running since 1832,” he said. There are also plans build a 40 mile-long narrow gauge railway on the former Welsh Highland Railway. FORUM: The RMT train drivers’ organising committee met in Unity House with general secretary Bob Crow last month to discuss organising strategies. A report will be presented on January 12 at the Trade Union Club, Doncaster. RMT drops in on members at Ffestiniog MEMBERS FREEPHONE HELPLINE Open six days a week 8am until 6pm 0800 376 3706 e-mail: info@rmt.org.uk Legal helpline: 0800 587 7516 4 Train drivers’ organising committee formed SRIKE ACTION by RMT parking attendants working for Vinci Park in Bromley, south London, was suspended last month following last-minute talks. RMT members had voted unanimously for action to retain their right to take their breaks in relative safety after their long- standing right to return to the depot for breaks was ended without consultation. Parking attendants run a daily gauntlet of abuse and threats, and physical assaults are a regular occurrence, yet the company had imposed changes that expose staff to an increased risk of attack. However, strike action was suspended after the company agreed to nominate places of safety in which members can take their breaks. Joint inspections of nominated sites are due to take place and the executive will consider company proposals after consulting members. “This was a straightforward dispute: the company needs to understand that it cannot put its profits ahead of employees’ safety,” Bob Crow said. Vinci strike suspended following talks THE boss of a private Tube operator Tube Lines was handed a £100,000 bonus earlier this month despite the fact that the company has admitted failing to meet almost all of the targets set under the PPP contracts. Tube Lines chief executive Terry Morgan “earnt” the performance bonus as part of a £552,000 pay package as his company cashed in with a £41.6 million profit. Tube Lines, which runs the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines, also received about £360 million in fees from the taxpayer. Mr Morgan’s salary is double that of Tim O’Toole, managing director of the London Underground. Tube Lines report also highlighted the crazy “money-go-round” contracts now governing the Tube forced through by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The National Audit Office has also raised concerns that the contracts do not represent value for money. Even London Underground has accused Tube Lines and Metronet of producing “non-existent, incompetent or inconsistent” work plans and of frequently failing to finish engineering work on time. The company made £41.6 million profit despite being fined about £15 million for poor performance. Tube Lines – jointly owned by Amey, Bechtel and Jarvis – has been dogged by a catalogue of failures including admitting that it had failed to meet 27 out of its 39 targets for reducing “lost customer hours”. The company has also failed to resolve the points problem at Camden Town – scene of a derailment last October in which seven people were injured. RMT general secretary Bob Crow pointed out that the PPP was an expensive scheme for producing guaranteed, risk-free profits, whether or not the Tube gets any better. “These privateers have already been kicked off the rail network and brought back in-house – it is time the same thing was done on the Tube,” he said. Tubelines fat cat boss gets the cream