LUL signal and control staff to ballot after talks fail - 6 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than 330
signallers and line controllers for strike action after six months of
negotiations failed to resolve a four-year dispute over pay rates, pay
structures, hours and conditions.


Press release from the RMT today:

A year after RMT won a £2,000 interim payment for signalling and
service-control grades, and six months after a working party began detailed
talks, LUL has demanded 14 per cent reduction in jobs, lengthening of
shifts, reduction in minimum rest-periods and other "unacceptable" strings.

"These talks were supposed to be about improving conditions, not worsening
them," said RMT general secretary Bob Crow today.

"Signalling and control staff have now been waiting for four years to see
pay parity with drivers restored, a 35-hour week and other long-standing
problems resolved.

"After six months of talks we were told that the price of restructuring is
76 jobs, the lengthening of shifts and a host of other strings that are
frankly unacceptable.

"LUL might see this as flexibility, but for our members it adds up to a huge
step backwards, and the RMT executive has today authorised a ballot for
strike action," Bob Crow said.

"Twelve hours is simply too long for anyone to be in charge of a signal box
or control panel, but that is what the company wants," said assistant
general secretary Pat Sikorski.

"Safety critical staff need sufficient guaranteed rest time between shifts,
but LUL also wants to cut minimum rest time from 12 to 11 hours and to vary
shift start times by up to four hours at short notice.

"When it came to pay we were happy to negotiate a unified and simplified pay
scale, but by 'red-circling' individuals outside the new structure the
company is attempting to use it as a downgrading exercise," Pat Sikorski
said.

ends

In article ,
Malcolm & Nika wrote:
Press release from the RMT today:

Christmas is approaching fast, and we're way behind on the shopping. We
need to ensure that our members can get it all done in one day without the
shops being too overcrowded.

Dave
--
Email: MSN Messenger:

You are a silly billy Dave.

"David Marshall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Malcolm & Nika wrote:
Press release from the RMT today:

Christmas is approaching fast, and we're way behind on the shopping. We
need to ensure that our members can get it all done in one day without the
shops being too overcrowded.

Dave
--
Email: MSN Messenger:

Malcolm & Nika wrote:
LUL signal and control staff to ballot after talks fail - 6 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than
330
signallers and line controllers for strike action after six months of

negotiations failed to resolve a four-year dispute over pay rates,
pay
structures, hours and conditions.

Oh what a surprise , its almost christmas and theres a possible strike
on
the underground.

Given the amount of strikes on the underground recently this leads
to 2 conclusions:

A) LU is one of the worst blue collar employers in the country and the
staff
are living a wretched existense despite the high pay rates and easy
hours or

B) The people who work for it are some of the most greedy, work shy,
selfish
and bone idle ******* in britain who are about as much in touch with
workplace
reality as Timothy Leary on a bad trip.
So lets have a survey. Why is it all you LU people? A or B?

B2003

Malcolm & Nika wrote:
LUL signal and control staff to ballot after talks fail - 6 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than
330
signallers and line controllers for strike action after six months of

negotiations failed to resolve a four-year dispute over pay rates,
pay
structures, hours and conditions.

Oh what a surprise , its almost christmas and theres a possible strike
on
the underground.

Given the amount of strikes on the underground recently this leads
to 2 conclusions:

A) LU is one of the worst blue collar employers in the country and the
staff
are living a wretched existense despite the high pay rates and easy
hours or

B) The people who work for it are some of the most greedy, work shy,
selfish
and bone idle ******* in britain who are about as much in touch with
workplace
reality as Timothy Leary on a bad trip.
So lets have a survey. Why is it all you LU people? A or B?

B2003

Oh dear poor Boltar...you have a stutter.

Actually its neither of those. Life isnt quite so simple as an A or B
response.
I think the press release puts it quite succinctly.
Plainly the signallers and control centre people see it one way and LU see
it another. I am sure some discussion will see it all blow over and it will
all be a big misunderstanding.
Perhaps the LU management and staff are much more in touch with good
industrial relations and negotiation than you think.

Cant wait for your response.......


"Boltar" wrote in message
oups.com...

Malcolm & Nika wrote:
LUL signal and control staff to ballot after talks fail - 6 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than
330
signallers and line controllers for strike action after six months of

negotiations failed to resolve a four-year dispute over pay rates,
pay
structures, hours and conditions.

Oh what a surprise , its almost christmas and theres a possible strike
on
the underground.

Given the amount of strikes on the underground recently this leads
to 2 conclusions:

A) LU is one of the worst blue collar employers in the country and the
staff
are living a wretched existense despite the high pay rates and easy
hours or

B) The people who work for it are some of the most greedy, work shy,
selfish
and bone idle ******* in britain who are about as much in touch with
workplace
reality as Timothy Leary on a bad trip.
So lets have a survey. Why is it all you LU people? A or B?

B2003

"Malcolm & Nika" wrote in message
...
LUL signal and control staff to ballot after talks fail - 6 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than 330
signallers and line controllers for strike action after six months of
negotiations failed to resolve a four-year dispute over pay rates, pay
structures, hours and conditions.


Press release from the RMT today:

A year after RMT won a £2,000 interim payment for signalling and
service-control grades, and six months after a working party began
detailed talks, LUL has demanded 14 per cent reduction in jobs,
lengthening of shifts, reduction in minimum rest-periods and other
"unacceptable" strings.

snip


"When it came to pay we were happy to negotiate a unified and simplified
pay scale, but by 'red-circling' individuals outside the new structure the
company is attempting to use it as a downgrading exercise," Pat Sikorski
said.

ends



For public transport, they sure do hate the public. This really, really
annoys me. I'm so fed up of being a pawn in this stupid game between the
RMT and LUL. Why do they close the service? Don't they care that us, the
people who pay their wages, are getting our lives screwed up on an
increasingly regular basis?

If they really DO care about the public, the union workers should strike
like they do in Dublin. In Dublin, during industrial action, public
transport workers stop charging people fares. The company gets a financial
wake-up call, AND it's a gift to the very public they're supposedly trying
to serve.

Anyway, after all the stuff the RMT has been given, more threats of
industrial action aren't sitting too well. One gets the feeling they are
trying to get all they can, whether they deserve it or not. I'm sure that's
not the case, though.

sorry if this offends anyone, but I don't like walking to work.

d.

How about they try good ol' diplomacy? Instead, they act selfishly, and
screw over the public. Repeatedly. Am I the only person who finds this
disgusting?

I'm all for unions. I've seen how they can get workers the rewards they
deserve. I've also seen how they get greedy and take more. I'd hate to
think the RMT is the second type, but with more and more industrial action
threats flying about, it's getting harder to think otherwise.

d.

"Malcolm & Nika" wrote in message
...
Oh dear poor Boltar...you have a stutter.

Actually its neither of those. Life isnt quite so simple as an A or B
response.
I think the press release puts it quite succinctly.
Plainly the signallers and control centre people see it one way and LU see
it another. I am sure some discussion will see it all blow over and it
will all be a big misunderstanding.
Perhaps the LU management and staff are much more in touch with good
industrial relations and negotiation than you think.

Cant wait for your response.......


"Boltar" wrote in message
oups.com...

Malcolm & Nika wrote:
LUL signal and control staff to ballot after talks fail - 6 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than
330
signallers and line controllers for strike action after six months of

negotiations failed to resolve a four-year dispute over pay rates,
pay
structures, hours and conditions.

Oh what a surprise , its almost christmas and theres a possible strike
on
the underground.

Given the amount of strikes on the underground recently this leads
to 2 conclusions:

A) LU is one of the worst blue collar employers in the country and the
staff
are living a wretched existense despite the high pay rates and easy
hours or

B) The people who work for it are some of the most greedy, work shy,
selfish
and bone idle ******* in britain who are about as much in touch with
workplace
reality as Timothy Leary on a bad trip.
So lets have a survey. Why is it all you LU people? A or B?

B2003

What is it the RMT have been given?

Anyway, after all the stuff the RMT has been given, more threats of
industrial action aren't sitting too well. One gets the feeling they are
trying to get all they can, whether they deserve it or not. I'm sure
that's not the case, though.

In article , d
writes
DECEMBER 6: LONDON UNDERGROUND's biggest union is to ballot more than 330
signallers and line controllers for strike action
[...]
For public transport, they sure do hate the public. This really, really
annoys me. I'm so fed up of being a pawn in this stupid game between the
RMT and LUL. Why do they close the service?

What other options do signallers and line controllers have?

Don't they care that us, the
people who pay their wages, are getting our lives screwed up on an
increasingly regular basis?

I suspect they care more - assuming the report is true - that *their*
lives are about to be screwed up by less pay and longer hours.

If they really DO care about the public, the union workers should strike
like they do in Dublin. In Dublin, during industrial action, public
transport workers stop charging people fares.

Signallers and line controllers don't have anything to do with fare
collection. If those staff who do collect fares got involved, they'd be
breaking the laws about unions.

The company gets a financial
wake-up call, AND it's a gift to the very public they're supposedly trying
to serve.

Since I have an annual season ticket, it doesn't affect me. It won't
affect the vast majority of regular travellers, just those who would
only travel if they don't have to pay.

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work) | Web: http://www.davros.org
Fax: +44 870 051 9937 | Work:
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is: