ENGINEERING HARMONISATION

www.rmt.org.uk :: february 2006 :: RMTnews 23 Conference chair Greg Hewitt opened the meeting by telling over 100 delegates that it was a crucial time for their grades. After Network Rail took maintenance work back in house, the opportunity had arisen to finally get rid of the myriad of different pay rates and conditions introduced since privatisation. RMT general secretary, Bob Crow, told conference that it wasn’t going to be an easy task but he hoped delegates would get the ball rolling and produce a paper that gave the General Grades Committee guidance as to how to progress members’ wishes. “Harmonisation would allow members to move from one end of the country to the other they would retain the same rate of pay and conditions. “At present you needed a degree in accountancy to work out if you would be better or worse off following a move,” Bob said. As there were so many delegates in attendance the conference split in to two workshops, one being chaired by the general secretary and the other by the senior assistant general secretary Mick Cash, to come up with a number of principles on the major issues of pay, sick pay, annual leave, the working week, and London allowance. In supporting one set of pay and conditions for track grades, conference requested the union to consult with RMT supervisory members on harmonised pay and conditions. Mick Cash assured supervisory members that meetings would be held with supervisory representatives to come up with proposals. AGREEMENT Bob Crow said it would be difficult to set out specifics on each issue involved as the combinations would run into the hundreds and the conference would probably last a year. Therefore, it was quite a surprise that the two workshops produced very similar reports. Further discussion took place and a resolution and set of proposals were agreed that would be placed before the union’s general grades committee. One very important demand was that no member would be worse off as a result of harmonisation. If a member was “ring- fenced” on a personal rate of pay then they must automatically receive the annual pay increase and not stay on their personal rate until the other members in the same grade caught up. This was the case under British Rail. It was agreed that further details will be consulted on with reps, branches and further special meetings, with an update initially taking place at the Engineering Conference 2006 in Fort William in April. The new RMT website should give news updates and information on progress of negotiations and provide special newsletters with regards grades outside Network Rail. This is being discussed at the RMT projects and renewal forum. Conference agreed that the union must be prepared to use industrial action if Network Rail was intransigent in its response and attempted to enforce unacceptable changes. The general secretary informed conference that at the end of the negotiating process members would have the final say on whether to accept or reject the new terms. Conference chair closed by thanking Doncaster branch and Dave Collinson in particular for all the hard work in setting up the meeting. UP FOR NEGOTIATION: • Working Week • Annual Leave • Sick Pay • London allowance • Pay • Grading system • Job descriptions ENGINEERING HARMONISATION A well-attended special engineering grades conference held in Doncaster last month discussed harmonisation of terms and conditions of Network Rail staff