In a few cases, managers have stopped staff's sick pay because Occupational Health says that they are fit to return to work after sickness but their own GP says to stay off work for a while longer.

Employers are not allowed to do this. Case law outlined below explains the legal situation.

The Employment Rights Act 1996 gives employees the right to time off if something “unexpected” happens to their arrangements for caring for a dependant. But your employer may suggest that the word "unexpected" means that if you had more than a couple of days' notice, then you do not have the right to the time off. But a recent legal case has established that “unexpected” can include a situation in which the employee had two weeks’ notice of a change to their childcare arrangements.

If you have a child under the age of 6, a disabled child under the age of 18, or care for a dependant adult (eg. a sick or disabled partner, parent or adult son/daughter), then you have the legal right to apply for ‘flexible working’ ie. changes to your hours or location of work that fit in better with your caring responsibilities.

Here is a concise guide to your rights for SRT staff. You can find the full official policy here.

As the SRT is new, it is especially important for staff to know your rights and to assert them, as management are trying to ‘push the boundaries’ and use you in ways that they should not. If they are able to get away this, then you as an SRT staff member will have an even heavier workload and more difficult working life. In addition, management will use you to help them de-staff our stations, to the detriment of the whole workforce.

So – stand up for your rights. If management breach any of these rights, contact RMT immediately.

You may be aware that earlier this year, RMT won for weekend part-timers the right to take your annual leave as a full weekend rather than as the Sunday of one weekend followed by the Saturday of the next.

If management mistreat you, you have the right to complain! Here is LUL's Grievance Procedure - the text is below, and it is attached as a PDF file. Make sure you get the help and support of a union rep throughout the process.

LUL's Family Leave Guidelines (page 4, papagraph 8) state that: "employees having to deal with the illness or death of a near relative may apply for the discretionary benefit of special leave with pay to cover the situation. Managers may grant up to 3 days' leave with pay."

We are aware that often, managers refuse paid special leave, and sometimes claim that they are 'not allowed' to give it. Show them this quote!

When you work in a higher grade on a particular day (eg. if you are an MF-licensed CSA and do a stint in the ticket office), you should be paid at the rate for the higher grade. Even if you work in the higher grade for only part of the shift, you should be paid at the higher rate for the whole shift.