Workers Revolutionary Party - RMT STRIKE ACTION VOTE

The News Line: News Saturday, 11 May 2013 RMT STRIKE ACTION VOTE

RMT members picket Transport for London demanding permanent employment

TUBE drivers, cleaners and TFL electricians and engineers have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a series of disputes over attacks on agreements and working conditions, pay and threatened redundancies.

The RMT yesterday confirmed a massive nine to one vote in favour of strike action by Train Operators and Instructor Operators on the Piccadilly Line, ‘in response to London Underground riding roughshod over agreements and abusing a range of agreed policies and procedures’.

Driver members at a range of depots serving the Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan and Circle Lines have voted for industrial action by massive majorities in disputes arising from the introduction of the new S Stock fleet.

The disputes centre on the following issues: Inadequate time allowance for train preparation; the removal of a train maintenance depot; the length of time between drivers being trained and actually driving new trains; and the absence of Defective in Service Instructions (DISIS) for the S Stock.
Tube cleaners working for Danish multi-national ISS on the London Underground Tube Lines contract have also voted 100% for strike action in a dispute over failure to pay the London Living Wage from day one, abuse of sickness and attendance procedures, and the extending of unpaid breaks.

Electricians and engineers working for contractors Mitie on the TFL contract have voted by around nine to one for action in a dispute over redundancies and unilateral changes to working conditions.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: ‘Drivers across a whole swathe of the underground network have voted by massive majorities for industrial action in separate disputes which represent unilateral attacks by the company on working conditions, agreements and procedures.

‘ISS staff doing some of the dirtiest jobs for some of the lowest wages in the London transport sector, have recorded a unanimous strike vote.

‘And in the last of these four important disputes, the Mitie engineers and electricians have voted by around nine to one to strike over redundancies and the threat to working conditions.’

• A US-based multinational computer firm previously mired in controversy over a troubled NHS IT programme, is accused by the PCS trade union of stoking up a dispute on its new defence contract.

PCS members who work for CSC on a key MoD contract have voted overwhelmingly to strike over a derisory 0.5% pay offer and the firm’s refusal to allow some staff to be properly represented by their union.

In a ballot of the union’s 300 SPVA members, 92.5% voted for a strike and almost 98% voted for other forms of industrial action, on a 58% turnout.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: ‘This overwhelming vote is a clear call to CSC to come back to the negotiating table with a sensible offer or face damaging industrial action.’