Salaried grade’s conference

T HE union’s biggest cleri- cal grades conference for many years noted that on-line ticket seller Thetrainline.com had boasted that its ambition was to be retail- ing half of all rail tickets within three years – a fivefold increase. Together with the increasing use of agency call centres there was a major and growing threat to booking-office jobs, warned Bristol delegate Robin White. “The only response is to begin the resistance now, with industrial action if we have to,” he said. Delegates were also alerted to employers’ growing tendency to attempt to use annual reviews to expand job descriptions without agreement. Such ‘back-door restruc- turing’ should be resisted, delegates agreed. Enormous changes under way in the railway industry, particularly with the continual reshaping of private-sector franchises, meant that reps had to be continually on their guard, assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski told delegates. End privatisation The union aimed ultimately to see an end to privatisation, but attempts by private-sector bosses to cut jobs and pay and undermine conditions would be resisted “all the way”, said Pat. Delegates also renewed their commitment to fighting the scourge of low pay in the industry. RMT’s policy of seeking flat- rate increases for lowest-paid grades in addition to the usual percentage pay rises had borne fruit in a number of train-operating companies, said conference president Paul Burton. Paul paid tribute to the “massive victory” that RMT had won in keeping the Network Rail final-salary pension scheme open last year. “That was only achieved thanks to the massive support shown by members: our unity was the only thing that stood in the way of losing that pension scheme for good,” he said. “Our growing conference is a sign that the salaried grades play an important and vital role in the life of RMT.” Progress on restructuring clerical grades should be made before new ticket-issuing systems are accepted, delegates agreed. Some companies were attempting to introduce new systems despite there being no acceptable restructuring package in place, said Dave Rudland, Feltham. “Management keep expecting more and more work to be devolved onto clerical grades, without any recompense, but we should withdraw co-operation until they begin to give as well as take,” he said. Conference renewed its call for employers to commit themselves to zero tolerance of assaults against railway staff. Members working with the public were subject to constant verbal and physical assault, said Peter March, Hull Rail. Delegates welcomed the TOCs’ recent poster campaign, but called for it to be followed up by legal action against culprits. “It doesn’t help when it’s the victim of the assault who’s on ‘three strikes and you’re out – threatened with being moved from their job for being assaulted,” said Mary Dwyer, North Thames. Levels of aggression had increased massively at Eurostar terminals, said Rosalyn Fong, EPS, but the company was reluctant to prosecute or even to display posters saying they would back staff who were assaulted for fear of cheapening their image. EROSION OF jobs and back-door undermining of working conditions will be resisted, with industrial action if necessary, delegates at RMT’s salaried grades conference agreed in Portsmouth last month 12 Salaried grades dig in for a fight MARY DWYER: victims of assualt threat- ened with removal RMT news – Salaried grades conference RMT news – Salaried grades conference A call for the setting of minimum entrance standards for the rail industry was rejected after a passionate debate. “There should be a job for everyone on the railways,” said Gary Hassell, Brighton, who pointed out that the only education he’d received was thanks to the union. “There is no way that our union should be demanding that only those with the privilege of a good education should get the jobs with the most money,” he said. Failure to pay adequate rates was creating difficulty in some companies in recruiting staff educated to a reasonable standard, and that added strain to existing staff, noted David Rudland, Feltham. However, delegates rejected a call that entrance standards should be maintained at, or returned to, British Rail Board levels. In-post education was the way forward, said learning rep Mike Sergeant, Cinque Ports, who said that staff should have the right to progress through the grades and that employers had the “moral obligation” to provide opportunities and time off for education. “Anyone can get there,” said Andy Budd Leeds City. “There’s a lot who couldn’t pass the railway clerical exam 13 A record number of delegates attended last month’s salaried grades conference held in Portsmouth. Photos: Paul McDonnell Sarah pledges fight for jobs Welcoming delegates to Portsmouth, local Labour parliamentary candidate Sarah McCarthy-Fry said that the loss of hundreds of P&O jobs was “a massive blow” to the city. The company had taken full advantage of the tonnage tax – but in the end it meant nothing to them as they slashed jobs and future job opportunities. “A subsidy like the tonnage tax should bring with it the obligation to create jobs and build up the skills of the workforce by improved training,” said Sarah, pledging that as an MP she would work to establish the link that RMT had called for. who make great railway workers – the accent should be on fighting for the right rate of pay.” “It’s the ones with the degrees who often haven’t got a bloody clue what to do,” said Duncan Braithwaite, Kings Cross. Expansion of managerial grade contracts throughout the rail industry had reduced opportunities for clerical grades to ‘act up’ in higher- grade duties, conference noted. Some employers were reluctant to offer vacant positions to lower-grade staff pending advertising and appointment – denying staff valuable experience in an effort to make savings. Companies using restruc- turing to reduce holiday entitlements for new staff should be challenged and such discrimination ended, delegates agreed. The problem was endemic in the industry, said Robin White, Bristol: restructuring deals often gave newcomers fewer holidays and that should be challenged, both legally and industrially. In Amec there were at least three different types of contract, all with different hours and holidays, noted Gary Hassell Brighton. Conference reiterated its call for the RMT executive to publish guidelines on booking- office security – a particular problem for staff working on single-staffed stations. Conference agreed an emergency call to oppose attempts to exclude Network Rail section managers from the bargaining machinery – part of a manouevre to get managers to sign individual contracts, said Billy Laing, Central and North Mersey. The union should campaign against the compulsory wearing of uniform hats, delegates agreed. Hats were no longer compulsorily worn by London Underground staff, said Mark Still, Waterloo, and the union should ensure that other employers followed suit.