TO ALL RMT MEMBERS AT LONDON UNDERGROUND

Dear Colleagues,

I write to advise members that all strike action that was due to commence next week has been suspended following talks with the company. All RMT Train Operators and Instructor Operators are instructed to work normally. A summary of the agreement reached is as follows: -

Extract from the RMT General Grades Committee's decision on Wednesday 19 January, the day that London Underground sacked our Green Park group rep, Peter Hartshorn ...

We are disgusted to hear that London Underground has summarily dismissed our representative Peter Hartshorn on trumped up charges of swearing at a manager despite witnesses stating otherwise. The alleged incident took place while Peter was carrying out trade union duties and it is clear that the company has victimised him for his activities as a representative of this union.

Management have issued their proposed OSP rosters, due to commence from the 6th February. These rosters have not been agreed by the trade unions, which remain firmly against the job cuts and firmly against the proposed rosters - for many reasons, which are being discussed at the four reviews which are currently underway under the auspices of ACAS.

From Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary

Correspondence was received from management concerning the levels of representation on LUL. This has now been considered by the General Grades Committee and the following decision has been taken:-

“That we note the correspondence from LUL in relation to new Station Groups and Trade Union representation.

The roster consultation has begun. You will be called to a meeting by your GSM, then have a period of time to consult members, and the meeting will reconvene after three weeks for you to give feedback.

The weeks in which these meetings should take place are as follows:

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.

Click '2 attachments' / file names to download this guide as a PDF, and to download the level 1 referral form.

As a Representative you are entitled to have a Level 1 meeting with your employing manager (GSM/TOM/SCM) four times a year ie. every three months. Ensure that the GSM/TOM sticks to this schedule.

Look at the details of how the job-cuts plan affects your group.

• You can download the group reorganisation plan here: http://www.rmtplatform.org.uk/node/714.
• You can see the planned ticket office opening (or closing!) hours on LU's intranet.
  

To all RMT workplace representatives

Want to communicate more effectively with the RMT members you represent? Want to be able to report back on negotiations and other union duties, explain how management's latest plans affect your particular workplace, put together an attractive newsletter? Maybe you understand the importance of effective printed material but feel you don't have the skills to do it yourself?

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.

GENERAL REPRESENTATIVES TRAINING 2010 - EDUCATION, ORGANISATION & AGITATION
National Education Centre, Doncaster

Bob Crow writes ...

I have arranged a series of training courses for our elected representatives that will be held throughout the first quarter of 2010.

The courses are for our reps who have never attended a five day RMT residential before.

Venue: ex-Services Club, Harvey Road, Leytonstone - map here.

All London Underground RMT reps (indusrial relations, not health and safety) are released from duty to attend our meeting to discuss London Underground's pay offer, as follows:

Tuesday 6 October, 11am
Mahatma Gandhi Hall, Indian YMCA
Fitzroy Square, near Warren Street

• Nominations open: Thursday 3rd September
• Nominations close: Wednesday 14th October
• Ballots open: Thursday 22nd October
• Ballots close: Wednesday 2nd December

To stand for the Stations and Revenue Council, you must be a level one representative. Two posts will be elected, both to serve a term of three years: 2010, 2011, 2012.

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.

If you are a union rep, and management schedule your union duties outside you rostered hours - eg. arranging a member's LDI at 16:00 on a day when you are on an early turn finishing at 15:00 - then you should get "time off in lieu". Your union duties are part of the company's legal responsibilities, so should be carried out in their time, not yours.

This is London Underground's policy on facilities for union reps. If you are not getting all that you are entitled to, raise it with your employing manager, and also advise your branch secretary and Stations & Revenue Council reps.