RMT WINS JOB SECURITY FOR TUBE WORKERS

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: september 2009 :: RMTnews 13 A s a result of strike action by Tube workers and Transport for London members, London Underground has agreed to RMT demands that there will be no compulsory redundancies. A thousand jobs had faced the axe but now management has agreed to abide by ‘Annex H’ – the key security of employment clause -and that this will apply to all LUL operational staff. The dispute, which was at the heart of the successful 48 hour tube strike earlier this year, had led to long hours of direct negotiations and through ACAS. A thousand of the LUL members that were transferred to the failed private Metronet consortium were at risk of losing their jobs, leading to the two days strike action. As a result of the industrial action and the talks that followed the union has safeguarded these members’ jobs and forced management to abide by negotiated agreements and provide alternative jobs for all displaced staff. Unfortunately a last-minute deal to prevent the 48-hour tube strike had been scuppered by the office of London mayor Boris Johnson. RMT negotiators had spent all day and early evening at ACAS on the eve of strike action putting together a deal which could have settled the dispute. However London Underground saw fit to bring in lawyers at the last minute who pulled the rug from under a workable agreement. The strike goes ahead as the union knew that it will receive solid support from RMT members across the tube network. Bob Crow RMT general secretary said that the action had shown what can be done by workers showing solidarity with their colleagues. “Tube members must be congratulated on the stand they took in these difficult times with a credit crunch and rising unemployment causing job losses and attacks on working peoples’ terms and conditions. “The stand you have taken has proved that by sticking together and supporting each other and the union we can protect jobs and conditions,” Bob said. RMT London regional organiser Steve Hedley agreed that it was the best deal on offer under the circumstances but RMT had not been able to secure the jobs of members of other unions. “If only other unions had stood with us we could have secured an even bigger victory,” he said. A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT RMT ACHIEVED • Rebuffed the proposed five-year pay deal in favour of a two-year deal. On TFL where RMT is a minority union there is still a four-year pay deal on the table. • Achieved an increase in pay from one per cent to 1.5 per cent in the first year of pay deal. • Secured jobs or job offers for all RMT members facing compulsory redundancy. • Secured improvements to the attendance procedures including the definitions of a 26 weeks maximum warning in future will mean exactly that and there are other concessions that the joint working party will report on fully. • More talks on pay and talks on a job offer for anyone who is redeployed for reasons of ill health are to take place. RMT WINS JOB SECURITY FOR TUBE WORKERS RMT forces London Underground to stick to agreed policies on redundancies, protecting a thousand jobs