TfL LUL Bulletin June 2022

London Underground SPECIAL BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2022

DEFEND JOBS, PENSIONS AND CONDITIONS VOTE YES IN THE RE-BALLOT PREPARE FOR FURTHER STRIKE ACTION

RMT demands three assurances from London Underground Limited (LUL): l l l

No jobs cuts No detriment to our pensions No changes to the terms and conditions in our agreements

LUL has failed to give us any of these assurances so RMT is consulting reps about further strike dates. it is also essential that we now get a massive YES vote in the re-ballot that is required by law, every 6 months.

Vote YES for strike action and YES for action short of a strike

The strike action taken by RMT members on 1st and 3rd March 2022 has pushed back the timetable for pension attacks. But all options including increased contributions and reduced benefits are under consideration by LU management.

The rest of the £500m cuts agenda also continues to be pushed by LU. RMT station grades will strike on 6 June and further action involving all grades is inevitable unless the three assurances we have demanded are given.

We must also maintain our pressure on LUL, the Mayor and Government by returning another YES vote in our re-ballot.

All grades together. Unity is powerful.

Re-ballot opens 26 May – Papers must be returned by 23 June

STATIONS & REVENUE STRIKE 6 JUNE: SEE PAGE 2

STATIONS & REVENUE STRIKE ON 6 JUNE

What did the Barber report say about our pensions?

All stations and revenue grades are instructed NOT TO BOOK ON for any shifts that commence between:00:01 hours and 23:59 hours on Monday 6th June 2022.

Not to work any overtime or rest days between: 00:01 hours on Friday 3rd June 2022 until 23:59 on Sunday 10th July 2022.

LUL management wants to cut 600 CSA jobs to save money. This isn’t about COVID or passenger numbers. It is a return to their mis-named ‘fit for the future’ proposals. Six hundred happens to be the number of jobs we won back after strikes in 2015 and 2017. These cuts were not justified then and they are not justified today.

The cuts translate to a loss of over 40% of CSAs at some of our biggest stations. A massive increase in lone working is likely to be the result in the outer zones. Station staff face a huge increase in extreme shifts.

Cuts to cover will mean more fragmented rosters and difficulties getting leave or accommodating rostering requests around childcare or other responsibilities.

For members on the Special Requirements Team (SRT) and Revenue grades it is even worse with a flexible framework to be imposed. The proposal would require these members to work anywhere across huge areas covering rostered duties wherever needed. Short notice duty changes would become routine in the new proposed arrangement. SRT members will have cover weeks and extreme turns imposed onto their rosters.

Station members are leading the way in taking further strike action against the cuts. But the station cuts are just the first phase of LU’s programme of cuts that needs to save £500m a year according to the agreement made between LUL and the government.

NO to the “managed decline” of the Tube The Mayor of London has stated that TfL is now operating according to a model of managed decline.

This means a massive scaling back of renewals and improvements that will damage the reliability and safety of the Tube. A review of service levels on rail and the Tube is due to be completed in June 2022.

And all of this is to meet a £2bn funding gap over the next business plan.

Compare that to the “cheapest” estimates for renovating the Houses of Parliament at £7-£13bn.

Just four banks made UK profits of £34bn last year and are set to pay out over £4bn in bonuses to London traders.

There is plenty of money in London but it is hoarded by a tiny clique of wealthy bosses who control the politicians like puppets.

It is time to stand up and fight.

The Barber report has concluded that any attacks on our pensions will be difficult to implement. We could have told LUL that for nothing.

The reason it will be difficult is because RMT has a ballot mandate and we have shown that we are prepared to fight for our pensions along with jobs and conditions.

Far from reassuring us the Barber report has identified many options for attacking our pension scheme including: l Higher contribution rates l A higher retirement age with reduced pensions if you retire at 60 l A move from a pension calculated as one 66th of salary per year to one 70th or one 80th l Removing the RPI inflation of pensions in

payment l Limiting pensionable pay so that your pension does not rise fully in line with actual pay l A move to a career average rather than final salary calculation so that your pension is based on a lower salary The examples worked through by the Barber review would result in an average loss of around 30% of the value of future accruals for all scheme members.

Senior managers are claiming there are no plans to cut pensions at this time, but they will not give us any assurance that the options in the Barber report will not be implemented.

That is what they must do. RMT will fight to win those assurances.

Nationally co-ordinated rail strike looms RMT members have voted to take strike action on Network Rail and across Train Operating Companies.

Our brothers and sisters are fighting against the same type of job cuts and flexible working that we are confronting on LUL. They are also seeking to smash the government pay freeze that has left them without a pay rise since before the pandemic.

RMT will not hesitate to co-ordinate action across the national rail network and will consider lining up further action on LUL with these other disputes.

This could pave the way for a massive show of strength from rail workers, including on London Underground, that will leave the government in no doubt that RMT will fight to defend our industry and to maintain our jobs and conditions.

Six reasons to vote YES for strike action and YES for action short of a strike in the re-ballot 1

London Underground is seeking over £500m in cuts which will impact on our jobs and conditions.

2

Senior LU management is now considering options to attack your pension including higher contributions, lower benefits, or a move to a career average instead of final salary scheme.

3 4 5 6

London Underground is bulldozing through 600 job cuts on our stations. But this is just the start. The station cuts would only save a fraction of the £500m sought. Management has told RMT, during ACAS talks, that they are seeking cuts across the network in operational and engineering grades.

Management is imposing flexible working arrangements on Special Requirements Team (SRT) and Revenue grades. This is a taste of what is to come across London Underground as management seeks to cut jobs by making us available anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

London Underground refuses to take any of these attacks off the table. Pension attacks, job cuts and flexible working are a real and imminent threat to your working life. RMT strike action can push London Underground back and force them to rethink their plans.

Don’t leave it to others. Ensure RMT has the power of a ballot mandate for strike action and for action short of strikes. The antiunion laws mean that we need to achieve a 50% turnout and 40% of all eligible voters must vote YES for a legal strike. If you do not return your ballot paper you are effectively counted as voting against our fight to stop job cuts, pension attacks and flexible working.

Ballot papers are sent to your home address from Thursday 26 May

If you have not received a ballot paper by 2 June contact: info@rmt.org.uk. Include your name and address and if possible, your RMT membership no. or call the RMT helpline on 0800 376 3706

www.rmt.org.uk