Category: News

Posted on

Please Support RMT Members With No Wages!

Please Support RMT Members With No Wages!
RMT London Transport Region Zero Hours & Self-Employed members need our Solidarity Now!
Many of our regions self-employed members and those on zero hours have not any had wages for 2 months since March
They have been abandoned by London Underground, TfL, the London Mayor and their agency employers
They MUST NOT be abandoned by us too; their RMT sisters and brothers!
The RMT London Transport Regional Council and LU Engineering RMT branch are calling out to all branches, members and friends to dig deep and give meaningful solidarity to our hard pressed members facing poverty and possibly eviction from their homes.
To help support by donating to the fund or to ask after support for yourself, please email:
Posted on

New Inflation rates for year to April 2020

New Inflation rates for year to April 2020
 
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have published inflation rates for the year to April 2020. The Retail Prices Index (RPI) has decreased to 1.5%, which is 1.1% down on the year to March 2020. The alternative measures of CPI and CPIH were 0.8% (down 0.7%) and 0.9% (down 0.6%) respectively.
 
Your union’s policy is to use the RPI rate for all pay negotiations. Should an employer attempt to use alternative inflation measures during pay talks, please inform the National Policy department as soon as possible.
 
I would be grateful if you could bring the content of this circular to the attention of all members in your Branch.
 
Posted on

Shut the Sites

Shut The Sites blockade the London headquarters of construction giant MACE, whose CEO – Mark Reynolds – is a spokesperson for the Construction Leadership Council.

Video of the action here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTrPZG16SIY

The CLC have just shockingly announced that construction needs to stay open and social distancing for coronavirus can be ignored for up to 15 minutes at a time, if a job cannot be carried out by one person alone. This watering down of official guidelines for building sites will pass on infection to their family members and send hundreds to their deaths.

No construction worker wants to put their family at risk, but they also need to pay their rent, which is why the electrician, bricklayer, carpenter, engineer and union safety rep who participated in the direct action also called on the government to pay every worker, irrespective of whether they are a direct employee, self-employed or an agency worker.

Shut The Sites activist went on to blockade a nearby Laing O’Rourke’s building site, sending a clear message to the CLC, major contractors and the government – if you don’t shut down construction and keep people safe, then workers are going to do it themselves.

The protest took place of 28th April – International Workers Memorial Day The global Day of Action by unions over deaths in the workplace. The slogan for #IWMD20 is “Mourn the Dead – Fight for the Living”. So after the protest, the construction workers paid their respects to their fellow workers who had died at the bronze ‘Building Worker’ statue at Tower Hill in London. Shut The Sites spokesperson, Dan Dobson said “#ShutTheSites is taking off as a grassroots movement on construction sites across the UK, made up of workers who disagree with the Government policy of keeping sites open. At least 100 NHS/Care workers now died from Covid-19, the Government have shown that it cannot protect or provide PPE for the genuine front line key workers, so how are non essential construction workers meant to fare? All non-critical sites need to be stopped and all workers need to be paid, regardless of their employment status.”

Note: A full risk assessment was carried out prior to the action, full PPE was provided and control measures were put in place to reduce transmission of COVID-19. Link to Shut The Sites Press Release – 28/04/2020 – Shut The Sites IWMD Body Bag Protest

Kind regards, 
Shut The Sites
#ShutTheSites #PAYEveryWorker
Posted on

PREGNANCY AND COVID-19 – ADVICE TO MEMBERS

PREGNANCY AND COVID-19 – ADVICE TO MEMBERS
 
Never before have the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 been so important to pregnant women who work in the transport industry.  Under these regulations:
1.            Employers must try to remove or prevent exposure to risks
 
2.            If that is not possible, working from home should be allowed
 
3.            If that is not possible, suitable alternative employment at the same rate of pay should be offered if available
 
4.            If none of this is possible, pregnant women must be suspended from work on full pay for as long as necessary. 
The obligation for a risk assessment for all working pregnant women is made clear in the guidance by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.  This is linked on the government’s website (Gov.uk) Covid-19 guidance page, under the title Health and Wellbeing – Guidance on pregnancy and coronavirus:
 
https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/
 
Do note that detailed information is also provided by the specialist group Maternity Action:
 
https://maternityaction.org.uk/covidmaternityfaqs/
 
Please make the contents of this Circular available to all appropriate members.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Mick Cash
Posted on

LUL Furlough & Company Council Report

Today we had the joint LUL & Tube Lines Company Council attended by the RMT.

 

Furlough: LUL announced that they are dealing with an unprecedented loss of income, with train journey’s over Easter, lower than at any time for nearly 100 years.

 

They currently had over 18% of their staff off with Covid related issues along with the normal levels of staff absence.

 

Therefore they had decided to use the Government Job Retention Scheme, also known as Furlough to add funding.

 

This scheme states that the Government will fund up to 80% (capped at £2,500) to support companies for a limitted time with staff that have no work currently.  This period must last for a minimum of 3 weeks and staff must not be undertake any work for LUL during this period.

 

NOTE LUL HAVE GUARENTEED TO PAY 100% OF EMPLOYEES WAGES

 

 

Full details of the Government Job Retention Scheme

 

 

LUL have stated that they intend to use this scheme starting on the 27th April and would spend next week trying to ascertain which staff that they was currently able to furlough. Examples that was given were those at home but unable to work, those being shielded etc. LUL also stated that they expected this to be mainly non-operational.

 

They confirmed that this would be on 100% of their pay and their terms and conditions would remain intact.

 

RMT Regional Organiser, John Leach, insisted that this must be put into writing and that the RMT would not accept anything less than FULL terms and conditions remaining the same and full involvement in the process of discussion who would be furloughed.

 

Non-essential work: 

 

LUL confirmed that they had been examining how much and what types of non-essential work that they should stop doing. They stated that they had produced a list of items for each function and they would share with the RMT asap.

 

Our view remains the same, we will fully support members that are unsure if the tasks that they have been given is either safe or essential to the safe running of the railway. If in doubt, always say no and raise with your reps and managers. Put your health and your safety first as it it better to query and ask why, than risk doing something that is wrong.

 

Face Masks:

 

LUL reported that station staff would be given face masks from next week to deal with emergency situations and that they was reviewing exactly where else these masks were needed.

 

The RMT position remains clear:

  • If the Mayor is telling passengers to wear masks then passenger facing staff should remain protected.
  • PPE is a last resort and LUL agreed that the use of masks was NOT to enable more work to be undertaken
  • The principles of social distancing and hand washing remains the most effective way to combat the spread of Covid 19

LUL Pay Deal:

 

LUL confirmed that this would be paid in July

 

Contractors:

 

The RMT have continually demanded that LUL and TfL take ownership of the issues regarding our sub-contractors and self employed staff and pay them.

 

The RMT today stated that they would work with Management to produce safe working practices to enable the restart of various project works such as in R&E that would enable this workers to be back earning money, but being kept safe by their union.

 

There is a real danger that these staff with be lost to the Railway and they have been denoted as Key Staff. People such as Protection Masters with Morsons and Cleshars, Track Staff employed by VGC and engineers in Engie etc are all core to the safe running of the Railway and all these core functions need to be done in house.

Posted on

LUEngineering Branch Meetings go online

Your Branch and indeed the RMT are now conducting all critical trade union business online.

 

What that means is that things such as our branch meetings etc are now being conducted by Zoom video conferencing meetings

 

If you wish to ‘attend’ a branch meeting please just email the branch secretary for an invite:

 

[email protected]

Posted on

FURLOUGH ARRANGEMENTS

FURLOUGH ARRANGEMENTS
 
Your National Executive Committee has adopted the following policy:
 
“Employers across the transport and maritime sectors are introducing Furlough Arrangements to make use of the scheme from government to pay workers.  The union is receiving proposals for such arrangements from employers with whom we have collective bargaining agreements, or where an employer seeks to engage RMT in consultation or negotiation. The NEC has determined that the following guidance shall be issued to ensure we provide the maximum and best possible protection for our members
 
In all circumstances Furlough Arrangements shall be placed before the NEC prior, wherever possible, before going ahead for consideration to ensure that consistency and best practice is maintained.
 
Should it be unavoidable for an officer or representatives to allow a furlough to go ahead before the NEC has discussed it, this matter must be put before the NEC at the first opportunity.
 
The rules and constitution of our union continue to govern these matters. When discussing Furlough Arrangements RMT officials shall seek to ensure:-
 
1.    Wages are paid at 100% meaning the employer tops up the government paid 80%
2.    Employers top up wages above £2500pm (the government schemes cap) so that employees continue to receive their full wages)
3.    No impact on pensions or leave
4.    No changes to terms and conditions
5.    That the Furlough Arrangement are time limited and shall not be extended beyond the period of the Covid-19 health crisis.
6.    The union shall, if the circumstances dictate, utilise pro-formas to provide added protection and guidance for members.”
 
Posted on

Victims of Covid-19

Our branch and our union have been touched by so many people becoming unwell and dying of Covid-19. We have now seen several members of our branch succumb to this terrible illness and we send our heartfelt condolances to their friends and families.

 

It is times like this that we need to draw together and be unified as many of us feel the pain and worry of the world that we now live in. We not only remember those that have sadly passed away but also those that are now unwell, whether they are a key worker, a Prime Minister, a member of our family, etc  and we wish them all a speedy recovery.

 

We also are thrilled that one of our Senior Health and Safety Representatives is now almost recovered enough and will hopefully be set home today. He spent over 2 weeks on life support and our hopes and prayers have been with him as it has been with all other victims of Covid-19.

 

To this end we salute and praise our marvellous Doctors, Nurses, Care Workers and everyone that makes our National Health Service function and we will continue to clap and support you every thursday throughout this pandemic and afterwards when this illness has subsided.

Posted on

Blacklist Support Group coronavirus statement

Blacklist Support Group supports 2 linked demands for the construction sector:
  • #ShutTheSites – Close all non-essential building sites to keep workers and their families safe
  • #PAYEveryworker – Ensure every worker gets paid to ensure their families are not put into destitution
Blame greedy bosses, clients and the government NOT the workers
The vast majority of construction workers are decent hardworking people. None of them want to put their own or their family members’ lives at risk by working in a situation where coronavirus infection is likely. Yet despite the apparent lockdown, photographs of packed building sites have been all over the media for days. When construction workers go to work, they share minibuses, travel on packed tubes, eat in crowded canteens, go up in full hoists, use palm print entry systems and live in barrack style accommodation on site. Construction is a dirty dangerous place at the best of times with notoriously poor welfare facilities, where the very process requires people to work in close proximity. Coronavirus will spread like wildfire in these circumstances.
 
Blame for this giant threat to public health lies with the greedy major contractors and clients continuing to enforce penalty clauses for delays; forcing building workers to come into work. Blame also lies with the government for not ordering all non-essential construction work to close. Ministers make speeches from lecterns emblazoned with the slogan ‘Stay Home Save Lives’ but building workers are still expected to go to work. There appears to have been orchestrated lobbying by the large contractors who are also major financial donors to the Tory Party. Its all about the money.


A culture of fear






There are also widespread reports of construction workers being sacked or told not to return to site if they complain or take the decision to leave unsafe sites. Construction News even reported workers being worried about blacklisting and being told to “F*ck Off, if you don’t like it”. One electrician in central London was sacked for gross-misconduct for posting a tweet about lack of social distancing. 


 


As blacklisted building workers, we know from personal experience that the spectre of blacklisting is still very real in the construction industry. Big firms claim it’s a thing of the past but everyone knows it’s still going on. If safety reps get sacked, it’s no surprise that other workers keep their heads down. It’s a climate of fear that’s putting public health at risk.






 




Coronavirus Risk Assessment for the construction industry would highlight:


    

  • Repeated prosecutions for breaches of H&S laws
    • 

  • Blacklisting of safety reps by major contractors
    • 

  • Workers being sacked where they complain abut safety
    • 

  • Highest workplace fatality rates of any sector
    • 

  • Intrinsically dirty work involving heavy lifting, often as a team
    • 

  • Working in close proximity in confined spaces, hoists, scaffolds and trenches
    • 

  • Often non-existent welfare facilities
    • 

  • Almost universal bogus ‘self-employment’ where workers won’t be paid if they don’t come in
    • 





 


Using the Law




Every worker should stay safe and put their own and family member’s safety above the profits of their employer. Blacklist Support Group urge all concerned workers in non-essential workplaces to talk to your fellow workers and collectively approach the boss to keep staff safe. If management refuse to positively respond to reasonable requests, then legislation provides protection to employees who move themselves from an unsafe workplace. 


 


Section 44 (1) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, specifically states:


An employee has the right not to be subjected to any detriment by any act, or any deliberate failure to act, by his employer done on the ground that:





(d)


in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work, or






(e)


in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from the danger.




 


Using this health and safety law, coronavirus walkouts have already been organised in construction, factories, distribution depots, Royal Mail. In the US walkouts by autoworkers have closed car plants and in Italy and Switzerland the unions led strikes to close down non-essential workplaces. Construction workers do not want to be working, with the potential of brining the virus back home to their loved ones. The mood of the industry and the whole nation is to shut non-essential building sites.


 


Any union officials or safety reps who are negotiating with managers about how to keep non-essential workplaces open should first and foremost talk to their members about what they actually want to happen. Then reconsider whether continuing production is likely to ensure the safety of workers and their families, or primarily benefit the company financially. Any union perceived by the workers as siding with management to keep non-essential businesses open, may suffer a backlash if the overwhelming mood of the workforce is to stay safe at home. 


 


‘Self-Employed’ Workers


However agency workers and anyone classified as self-employed are not covered by this legal protection. Employment law is stacked in favor of the employers. So rather than merely quoting the law, groups of workers should join a union and approach their boss collectively. This will increase the likelihood of success and decrease the chance of any victimization. 


 


The majority of construction workers are also classified as self-employed, which means that if they decide to self-isolate they will not be paid by the firm they’re actually working for. If they go off sick, they won’t get sick pay. This allows the big firms to extert pressure on building workers who need money to put food on the table. 


 


The government scheme for self-employed workers is a joke. No one gets a penny until June. How are people supposed to pay their bills? People have every right to keep a roof over their heads.The government position is changing by the day and concerted pressure can bring about further changes. Rather than the hopeless self-employed scheme or Universal Credit of £95 a week, it would be more useful if the government made universal income payments of around £1000 to everyone in the country (as has happened in Hong Kong).  No landlord or bank has a God given right to make a profit: the law of the land grants them that right, and the government can suspend that right. If the government suspended all rent, mortgage and interest payments for the next 3 months no one would be in fear of losing their home (as has happened in Italy).








Below is a short selection of the media coverage relating to the construction industry: 


Dan Dobson on Radio 5 Live: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gmqp (starts at 21:29hrs)


Dan Dobson - Tribune article: https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/03/coronavirus-crisis-exposes-construction-industrys-bogus-self-employment




Dave Smith: Morning Star article: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/o/covid-19-couldnt-be-more-dangerous-so-shut-construction-sites


Dave Smith at Coronavirus Support Group for Workers virtual meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT1YtAeu-SQ&t=16s


 




Construction News: https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/health-and-safety/onsite-coronavirus-cases-kept-secret-scared-workers-told-to-fk-off-31-03-2020/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&fbclid=IwAR1GduuF9SlkV7X4rQ93kMrCtqvt6S3uyeTI5Z8pTH8YHXtYJDXqiSS3BCo





Union News: https://www.union-news.co.uk/pressure-grows-on-government-to-shut-building-sites/?fbclid=IwAR00FKDIuhHB8uFJpRHvFUrwKM2SC5upNDGy5XcgSlLPwjgYMJjLB4Eb-E4




BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52017520







Le Monde on Hinckley Point https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2020/03/31/nucleaire-sur-le-chantier-d-hinkley-point-les-travaux-continuent_6035068_3234.html?fbclid=IwAR2FU_GHX2XUbRehVmuK2s-BKzg5vwJrc5zmq4eFdWUMrcdfF5jRhkv9Iro







 


Punk Poet Steve White has even given the hashtag #ShutTheSites its own theme tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU1js5bmHnA




 



 



 








Stay Safe & Keep the Faith




Blacklist Support Group




	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Bob Crow Memorial Album
	


	
	

		







Branches, Regions, Officers & Offices


 


Dear ALL,


 


Bob’s family have agreed for us to distribute our album today as we remember not only the sad loss of Bob but also smile at the memories that we have of the man and his life. 


 


This was made on behalf of our union as our tribute to him and I truly hope that we would have made him proud. This is not the work of any one individual, but the work of us all that follow in his footsteps.


 


We will be making 4 special copies of the Album, for the union, our branch, to accompany the banner and Bob’s family. We will also make some additional copies for those that contributed. We are toying with the idea of making some more for general sale in aid of Bob’s Charity, the British Heart Foundation, but we will see. We also hope that the RMT buys Bob’s Banner as his family have agreed the money will also donated to his charity.


 


Acknowledgements:


 


Firstly, to Ed Hall, who made the banner in a very short time to enable us to premier it at the 2019 May Day March in London.


 


We thank Nicola Hoarau for giving us permission, on behalf of Bob’s family, to change our branch name to the Bob Crow Branch and also to the National Executive and General Secretary for allowing this to happen. Also, for her marvellous efforts to finally get Bob onto the stage at Tolpuddle, something that sadly did not occur during Bob’s life-time.


 


We thank Bob’s work colleagues, Sean Fahey, Terry ‘the Tamper’ Gipps, Chris Newell, Eddie Norton and Doug Hammersley for their memories of Bob during his working days.


 


We would like to thank those that have spent time to write such wonderful and heartfelt tributes to Bob to accompany the photographs in this album. Karen Mitchell, Barry West, Mick Cash, Andy Gilchrist, Mick Lynch, John Leach, John Reid, Glen Hart, John Leach, Glenroy Watson, Andy Littlechild, Sean Hoyle, Michelle Rogers, Peter Skelly and Alan Pottage


 


Our most sincere thanks to Stephen Guy of the Durham Miners, who not only made us welcome, but also organised a special blessing of our Banner, outside Durham Cathedral. A unique tribute that is usually only allowed for Miners’ Banners.


 


We would like to thank LU Engineering Branch and RMT Members for their love and support in ensuring that Bob’s legacy has endured and continues to thrive. It was symbolic of this that ‘Bob’s Banner on Tour’ was met with such respect and support as we travelled the country in the name of class solidarity and determination to honour the giant of a man that was our Bob.


 


Our gratitude also, to the staff of the RMT Communication’s Team for their proof reading and formatting of our album, who have helped finish this work that we all worked so hard to create.


 


Lastly, we would like to thank Bob’s family, for allowing us to share him with them, for an all too brief moment in time.





	


	





		

		
Posted on 
RMT says London Mayor’s coronavirus transport cleaning announcement is completely inadequate
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
RMT says London Mayor’s coronavirus transport cleaning announcement is completely inadequate 


 


TUBE UNION RMT says that the London Mayor’s coronavirus transport cleaning announcement today is completely inadequate and calls into question the decision to privatise tube cleaning.


 


Responding to Mayor Sadiq Khan’s statement, RMT General Mick Cash said:


 


“The New York subway, where cleaning is done by directly employed staff in the public sector, will be deep-cleaned every three days, according to a recent announcement.


 


“In contrast, what the Mayor of London has announced looks significantly less than that and our worry is that he’s being limited in what he can do because London Underground’s cleaning is outsourced.


 


“That’s why RMT has written to the Mayor seeking assurances that the decision to privatise tube cleaning is not compromising passenger safety.


 


“It would also be completely unacceptable if the privatised tube cleaning company ABM were to profit out of this crisis and this whole episode confirms once again that like New York, Tube cleaning in London needs to be taking into public ownership.”


 

	


	





		

		
Posted on 
LUL Pay Branch Survey
	


			

			
							
		

	
	

		
Dear ALL


 


This is just to update you all that the branch carried out a survey on the two LUL pay offers. It is now closed.


 


This survey was to help our negotiators understand better what our members want and that our members are streadfastly determined to fight to better their terms and conditions. To that end, we won’t reveal the survey votes at this time to ensure that we negotiate the best deal for you. However, I can confirm the replies was overwhelming and extremely strong.


 


Under the law, should we ballot we must reach certain thresholds and in just 8 hours, we recieved over 600 completed replied.


 


We do recognise that survey’s such as this, and others are not the only way to reach and interact with our members but it is a useful tool to contact you all fast.


 


Please continue to feedback your views to our reps and come to the branch.


 


If you did not recieve a messgae, it was ONLY sent to members of the LUEngineering Branch working for LUL.


 


But also please check that your contact details are correct by logging in at:


 


 


www.rmt.org.uk


 


 

	


	



				

			

			    

					
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