Just to be clear ... The Framework Agreement for Station Staff states:

It seems to be a never ending complaint that LUL managers harass and invade the privacy of our members and cause alarm and distress to them and their next of kin by making unsolicited calls whilst our members are off sick – even to the point of abusing the emergency contact details that are provided.

Section 10.1(a) of the Employment Relations Act 1999 states:

Right to be accompanied

(1) This section applies where a worker—

(a) is required or invited by his employer to attend a disciplinary or grievance hearing, and

(b) reasonably requests to be accompanied at the hearing.

Free legal advice on criminal matters from Thompson's Solicitors

please find the attached poster for display in all staff areas.

On RMT's request, management confirmed at the Stations & Revenue Council meeting on 26 November that only an employing manager can conduct a case conference with a member of staff. This is because a case conference can make decisions regarding conditions of a member of staff's employment eg. reasonable adjustments, redeployment.

Dear Colleagues,

I am hearing more and more reports of members being called to attend fact-finding interviews whilst being denied RMT representation.

I have recently been given a document which comes with a message from the General Secretary on one side, and a proforma on the other. I have copied the proforma into a word document and attached it below. As soon as I am able I shall attach a pdf document with this blog entry. Please find the attached word document, and use it whenever necessary.

Have you ever wondered what information LU holds about you? Have you ever thought it might be incorrect?

Did you know that under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 you are entitled to see and have your own copies of information that is about you or which refers to you;things like you references, job applications, notes kept during recruitment interviews, or sickness and attendance records?

To all RMT members - Management have reneged on a long standing agreement whereby if you are stepped up to cover a job on HGW for any amount of time you would be paid the whole shift at the higher rate. Management are now stating that at least 2 hours or more need to be worked before the whole shift is paid at the higher rate.

This text is from trade union solicitors OH Parsons, and is the introductory section to its specific guides to the law on discrimination in employment. It sets out the basics of how this legislation works - and its limits! The specific guides will be posted on this website in due course.

Sometimes, you may be unable to attend a disciplinary/grievance/etc meeting at the time/date scheduled by management. Because of this, an alternative date/time can be arranged. It seems to be standard practice on London Underground that management set the alternative, which could cause you problems if neither date is suitable.

This is an extract from The Employment Practices Code: Data Protection, which you can read on the Information Commissioner's Office's website,

If management schedule a meeting with a member of staff at which s/he is entitled to be represented -
eg. LDI, case conference, grievance hearing, appeal, flexible working discussion, etc - on the local union rep's rest day, then either
(a) the rep will attend and be allocated an alternative rest day; or
(b) the meeting should be rescheduled to a day on which the rep is at work.

These extracts from the section of the General Secretary's report to RMT's 2009 AGM concerning the union's legal services cover some London Underground station staff cases ...

There has been a series of rapes of women in the Walthamstow area. On some local station groups, RMT reps have successfully argued that management should provide door-to-door special taxis for women staff to get home.

The union is currently working on extending this to workers in all grades who live or work in this area.