BREAKTHROUGH ON LONDON MIDLAND

R MT suspended two days of industrial action this month by conductors on London Midland following a breakthrough on the key issues of compulsory Sunday working and talks on harmonisation. Following negotiations, it has been agreed that the long- standing agreement on voluntary Sunday working will now be extended to all conductor staff on London Midland and will be honoured by the company – the issue at the heart of RMT’s dispute and the industrial action since the middle of March. In addition, London Midland has agreed to RMT’s long- standing request for talks on harmonisation. Those talks are scheduled to start on May 28. The settlement on Sunday working will be trialled until August 30. The union is seeking agreement that the voluntary Sunday working arrangements will remain in force beyond August. “We are pleased to be able to announce this important breakthrough on the key issues of voluntary Sunday working and talks on harmonisation and I want to pay tribute to our members who have stood firm throughout this dispute,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. “We now look forward to discussions with London Midland on harmonisation and to securing a long term agreement on Sunday working arrangements beyond the end of August,” Bob Crow said. RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: may 2009 :: RMTnews 7 R MT slammed recommendations from the head of one of the UK’s largest private bus and train operators that free travel for pensioners should be restricted on the ground of cost. Keith Ludeman, Chief Executive of the Go Ahead Group, which operates rail and bus franchises across the UK, was quoted last month as saying that there should be no “blank cheque” for pensioners free bus travel on the grounds that is costing too much money. In the last financial year Go Ahead Group racked up profits of over £100 million from their UK bus and rail contracts. “RMT will work with the National Pensioners Convention to make sure that this proposal is killed off. The idea that hard- up pensioners should be forced to give up their free bus travel in order to prop up the profits of the private bus companies simply defies belief,” Bob Crow said. R MT Members across Britain were out leafleting in force on April 28. The activity was part of an international day of action to mark Workers’ Memorial Day. The RMT leaflet highlighted growing fears over safety and security just a week after 11 tube trains had to be taken out of action on the Central Line after being attacked in Acton by gangs of vandals with bricks. The day of action was coordinated across the world by the International Transport Federation with the same message everywhere: ‘Unions say no to violence.’ Stations leafleted by RMT members were: Glasgow Queen Street; Newcastle; Doncaster; Preston; Liverpool Lime Street; Birmingham New Street; London Kings Cross; Southampton; Bristol and Exeter. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “This Workers’ Memorial Day we remember the 16 workers who died earlier this month in the Puma Helicopter tragedy off Aberdeen. We owe it to the memory of those workers, and thousands of others around the world, to renew our campaign for a safe and secure workplace for all.” BREAKTHROUGH ON LONDON MIDLAND PRIVATEERS PLAN TO SLASH FREE BUSES WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY RMT general secretary Bob Crow leafleting with other union members outside Kings Cross