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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2012 :: RMTnews 4 R MT members at global distribution, transport and delivery company Initial City Link took their protest over attacks on pay and conditions to Coventry City’s home game against Carlisle recently. City Link is a sponsor of Coventry City and at the City Link “hub” depot in Coventry there are more than 400 employees. But while City Link are signed up to a £1 million sponsorship deal with the football club the story for the employees is one of repeated attacks on pay and working conditions. City Link workers have not had a pay rise in four years which means hundreds of workers in Coventry, and thousands throughout the City Link empire have taken a massive hit on their standards of living. The company has cut bonuses and overtime payments for directly employed staff and threatened its permanent staff with replacement by casual “self-employed” drivers to limit working conditions and cut the wage bill. Yet City Link bosses, enjoying the corporate hospitality at Coventry City, have enjoyed a doubling of their salaries since 2006. RMT London Anglia and Midland Transport branch also launched a recruit campaign within City Link, targeting depots overnight and speaking to City Link lorry drivers from all over the country. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that it was about time that City Link showed the same generosity to its workforce that it has shown in its corporate sponsorship deals. “It’s RMT members in the warehouses, on the vehicles and in the offices who generate the company profits and they are rightfully demanding a fair share rather than the constant attacks meted out by the company on their pay, jobs and working conditions,” he said. R MT is organising a strike ballot of lorry driver members at DHL Neasden over the fact that despite being on the same terms and conditions as Enfield Depot members they are on lower pay scales. Assistant general secretary Mick Cash said that it was an issue that needed urgent attention before the pay gap between the two depots increases. “Members clearly feel that their workload, which is 75 per cent from within the M25 area, carries a heavier burden and should form part of their pay claim,” he said. The union has written to the managing director of Marks and Spencer explaining the fact that RMT is in dispute with DHL Services Ltd based on the fact that they stated at the pay negotiations that their contract with M&S does not allow them to meet union demands. RMT is holding a meeting of members affected before the strike ballot closes on October 10. CITY LINK ATTACK PAY AND CONDITIONS BALLOT AT DHL NEASDEN S ecurity and safety staff employed by STM Security Group on London Overground services are being balloted for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over bullying and an attempt to impose new terms and conditions. STM are contracted to provide safety and security services on London Overground stations. Despite several warnings from the union, management at STM Security Group has continued to bully and intimidate members and union representatives. Furthermore, the company is now making changes to contracts of employment and terms and conditions without any consultation or agreement with RMT. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the bullying and intimidation of reps was utterly deplorable and represented a pre-meditated assault on the union in a desperate attempt to try and undermine RMT’s growing strength on the contract. “The attempted imposition of new terms and conditions is just another element contributing to the picture of a company that is hell bent on confrontation with its workforce and their union,” he said. The union is urging members to return an overwhelming ‘YES’ vote in favour of strike action and industrial action short of a strike in the ballot that closes later this month. The union remains available for any talks aimed at resolving this dispute. LONDON OVERGROUND STRIKE BALLOT OVER BULLYING