May/June 2015rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/bakerloobranch facebook.com/bakerlooline.rmt @bakerloormt

Tories plan new anti-union laws:labour movement must fight back!

The new Torygovernment madeone of its first policyannouncements adeclaration of waron the trade unionmovement.

Under the Toriesnew proposals, strikes in transport, health, the fireservice, and schools will require minimum ballotturnouts of 50%, and backing from at least 40% of thoseeligible to vote.

So, if 100 workers were balloted to strike, at least 51would have to return their ballots, and at least 40 wouldhave to vote in favour of strikes, for the strike to be legal.

If you find the maths hard to follow, heres thesummary: the Tories want to severely restrict our right towithdraw our labour - the only real weapon available tous. They also plan to lift current restrictions on bossesusing agency workers to break strikes, which could havea devastating impact in grades where agency labour isprevalent, such as cleaning.

The Tories proposals are profoundly hypocritical,because the Tory government itself was elected by 24%of the eligible electorate (36% of those who voted). Theyhave nothing to do with increasing participation in strikeballots: if thats what the government wanted, they couldrepeal the law prohibiting workplace ballots!

The proposals are driven by basic class interest. TheTory government represents the rich and powerful, andworkers taking action is a threat to that power.

Trade unionists are not the only people in the Torygovernments sights. Council tenants, benefitsclaimaints, disabled people, migrants, pensioners, andstudents will all be at the sharp end of renewed cuts,a/acks, and reforms designed to ensure that the richcontinue to profit from the so-called economicrecovery, and working-class people are kept at themargins.

Against a government of the rich, by the rich, for therich, our only defence is our mutual solidarity andcommon organisation as workers.

Were in for five years of conflict: get involved in yourunion and help plan the fightback!

150 RMT reps met on Wednesday 6 May to discuss thelatest talks on pay and Night Tube, and our ongoingfight against job cuts.

The companys pay offer remains unacceptable. A0.75% increase in year one and RPI in year twoeffectively ammounts to a pay cut. Their non-consolidated sweetener for implementing Night Tube isalso derisory. We want proper compensation for allaffected grades, not just in monetary terms but throughmore time off.

Reps at the meeting agreed that industrial action willbe necessary to win a decent deal. The question ofwhether we will strike in our pay campaign, andwhether we will reinstate action in the Every JobMa/ers dispute against job cuts, is a question ofwhen, and not if.

The union has announced its intention to prepare an

all-grades ballot for strikes. We would aim to coordinateany action on pay and Night Tube with other unions, butwill not be held back if they fail to fight.

With the company due to announce its revisedfigures for station staffing levels on Friday 22 May,there will also be renewed impetus for action in ourfight against job cuts.

GET ACTIVE IN YOURBRANCH!The next RMT Bakerloo branch meeting takes place

at 16:00 on Tuesday 2 June at The Coach &

Horses, 1 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7HG (nearOxford Circus). All branch members welcome.

Prepare for action on pay, Night Tube, job cuts

* You have the right to join a trade union

* You have the right to participate in official industrialaction, including strikes

* It is illegal for your employer to discriminateagainst you for joining a union or participating in

industrial action

* If youre happy with yourlocation, but not your role,enter the review but only tickthe location youve been given.Write in the comments that youwant a substantive role there.

* If you want to change thelocation youve been given, thenenter the review and tick ANYother areas that you would liketo work at.

* If you think youve beenmoved from yourcurrent location in error (e.g.new location is more than 30mins travelling time) then tickthe box for this on the reviewform.

You have nothing to lose byreviewing your position. Youcannot be moved again, exceptto somewhere you choose. RMTencourages members to use thereview process, but remindsthem that we feel this issue canultimately only be solved bycollective, and not justindividual, action.

Bakerloo News is a monthlynewsletter from the Bakerloobranch of the RMT union.

To submit a story for Bakerloo News, orto contact the branch, please email bakerlooline@rmt.org.uk, or ring Branch Secretary Jim McDaid on 07917 131692

Full-time stationstaff relocation

Fixed-term contractCSAs: know your rights!

For more, see:bit.ly/rmt-relocation-latest

WHAT ABOUT PART-TIME STAFF?

Part-time staff have beentreated incredibly shabbilythroughout this process, as ifthey are just numbers to slot inonce full-time positions havebeen filled, rather than peoplewith lives and commitments.RMT will be supporting part-

time staff in pursuing collectivegrievances against the companyfor the way they have beentreated, as we believe thisamounts to discrimation againstpart-time workers. The collective grievance will

be coordinated by Central LineEast branch; if you want to bepart of it, please emailcentrallineeast@rmt.org.uk

Theres no denying that, for fixed-termcontract CSAs, the future is uncertain.As yet, LU has given RMTno concreteinformation about its plans for theseworkers once their contracts expire.

Rumours that they will be offeredpermanent CSA2 jobs (and the 6,000pay cut this would involve) are just that- rumours. But we wouldnt put it pastthis company to do it.

Given the uncertainty, itsunderstandable that some fixed-termstaff are cautious about not wanting torock the boat. But having a fixed-term contract doesnt mean you havefewer rights than permanent staff. And,just like permanent staff, the only wayto ensure your rights are respected is byorganising collectively and standing upfor them.

RMTis fighting for all fixed-termCSAs to be given permanent jobs atthe end of their contracts, on the samepay, terms, and conditions they havenow. We cant guarantee well win thatfight, but the more fixed-term staff whojoin the union, the stronger well be.

In the meantime, joining RMTmeansyoure part of our ongoing campaignsfor workplace dignity and justice. Anyaction we take, in any of our disputes,is action were taking for the future ofthe job - your job.

Sometimes, the boat does need tobe rocked. But if we stand together, wecan make sure its the bosses cutsplans - and not fixed-term staff - whichgets thrown overboard.

Management hoped the introductionof a new timetable on the line wouldallow them to eat into (no punintended!) drivers meal break time.

Thanks to union pressure, and a bit ofarchive-digging from reps to discoveran agreement from 2001/2002,

guaranteeing one-hour meal time at theElephant (Mon-Fri), the time hasbeen protected.

This comprisesthe normal 30minutes mealrelief, plus 12 minutes walking time,with an additional 18 minutes added tothe meal relief time on the newtimetable. We estimate thats 10 minutesmore than the company wanted to give,given that they normally give 10 minsstep back time for pick ups/drop offs.Every minute were able to claw backfrom the company is a minor victory;lets keep pushing for guaranteed one-hour meal breaks as standard, and ashorter working week!

STAFF CUTS REVEALED?

With a second series of BBCsOxford Street Revealed, featuringOxford Circus staff, in the pipeline,many workers are doubtful whetherthe programme will show the realityof working at the station: keeping aflagship station running smoothlyand safely, despite chronicunderstaffing.

RMT reps are pushing for extrajobs on the current roster, as well asfighting proposals to reduce numbersfrom 2016. If the company wants toparade us on TV, it needs to makesure we have staffing levels thatallow us to do our jobs safely.

Defending one-hour meal breaks