A BETTER DEAL FOR TUBE TRACK CONTRACTORS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2012 :: RMTnews 21 More than 15 years of privatisation and sub- contracting have wreaked havoc in the rail industry, not least for the people who work in it. On London Underground, where once we had central bargaining for standard pay and conditions for all track workers, there are now multiple contractors and agencies that seek to get as much as possible out of their staff for as little in return as possible – and to avoid, if they can, any dealings with your union. The break-up of full-time unionised employment for track workers, like the break-up of the industry itself, was a deliberate act, calculated to push wages and conditions down and profits up. For track workers the fragmentation has resulted in vastly differing and often poor pay and conditions with little, if any, security of employment. Many sub-contract workers on LUL and Tube Lines find themselves in the worst of all worlds, employed by agencies that ‘outsource’ their pay and conditions to an accountancy firm, making them nominally self-employed, denying them the employment rights they should have and unable to establish who their employer is. If we are to set the negotiating agenda and improve pay, terms and conditions, safety and welfare, our response must be across all contract and sub-contract companies and agencies on London Underground, and that is the purpose of this charter. RMT's strength, alongside the experience of more than a century of organising railway workers, is that it is an industrial union uniting workers in all grades and across all employers, on every worksite, in every depot, whether they be permanent-way platelayers, track cleaners, site supervisors, SPCs, PMEHs, HBTs, track welders or technicians. The first step towards bringing the aspirations in this charter to reality is to ensure that every track worker becomes an RMT member with solid organisation in every workplace, so that if it comes to a fight, we are ready for it. • Charters are available from Unity House. some members were walking up to 13 miles a day under difficult conditions which was unacceptable. “We need a maximum distance that staff can be asked to walk in a day,” he said. Conference called on the union to gather information from branches and seek compensation for those suffering as a result of walking over ballast. LONE WORKING Conference was concerned that members were increasingly working alone day and night sometimes in remote areas. Alex Hogg said that management seemed to think that this should be normal practice. “Our new Network Rail safety reps need to raise this issue strongly at the national safety council. David O’Donnell, Fife and District, said that he often had to work alone doing inspections. “We should not tolerate this unsafe practice as it has many implications for our members,” he said. Adrian Fricker said that there were guidance notes on the issue but they needed strengthening as soon as possible and dealt with at the national safety council. COSS DUTIES Conference called for a working party to be set up to look at the role and responsibilities of engineering supervisor and COSS duties. Alex Hogg said that members were often carrying out engineering supervisor and COSS duties and supervising tasks that they have not been trained for. Nobbie Richardson, Willesden No 4, said that members carrying out COSS duties should not be engaging in work they have not been trained to do. TRACK INSPECTION Conference called on the union to highlight the dangers of moves by Network Rail to move to video track inspections from visual inspections. John Kennedy, Harlesden, said that all grades were affected by this form of new technology. He said that replacing people with machinery in safety critical roles was fraught with dangers. “This has major implications not just for our members but for the travelling public and will lead to job cuts and increasing dangers,” he said. Sean Hoyle for the Council of Executives said that the union was already looking at the issue. “There is widespread concern that information gathered by the new technology takes many hours to download. “However visual inspections can identify any faults immediately,” he said. Conference called for a vigorous campaign to highlight the issue among rail workers and the general public. STOOD OFF ARRANGEMENTS Alex Hogg said that members were being denied stood off arrangements as contained in the blue book and were being dismissed when they encounter ill health after giving many years of loyal service. “A legal challenge needs to be launched against Network Rail so members knew their rights under the stood off arrangements,” he said. RMT general secretary Bob Crow introduces the union’s new London Underground track contract workers’ charter A BETTER DEAL FOR TUBE TRACK CONTRACTORS