Posted 3rd December 2009 | 1 Comment
Strike ballots spread, as London Midland dispute shows no sign of resolution
London Midland is one of three operators now facing strike ballots
Staff at London Midland are being balloted for industrial action in two separate disputes over pay and Sunday working, while staff at both Southern and First Capital Connect are also being urged to vote for strikes in support of pay claims there. Disruption is now at the end of its third week at FCC, while the Southern dispute threatens all the company's services on 28 December.
The RMT said the London Midland ballot followed 'a rejection of a series of complex staged pay offers for the current financial year and through to April 2011'. These consist of a 1 per cent increase on 1 April 2009 and a further 1 per cent on 1 November this year, or an increase of £350 to salary from 1 April 2009. Also on the table is an increase of 1.5 per cent or RPI (Feb 2010) whichever is greater on 1 April 2010, and a further 0.5 per cent on 1 November 2010 or an increase of £350 (indexed to February 2010 RPI), on 1 April 2010.
A second ballot for action in a long-standing dispute over Sunday working enhancements, for staff excluding conductors and drivers, is being run in parallel, following a delay after the company raised a successful legal objection to the ballot procedure. Voting in both ballots runs until 17 December.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT reps have worked hard to try and negotiate a fair deal for our members from London Midland on pay but the final offer from the company falls well short of what is required to reach an agreement. We know that London Midland have been put under special measures by the government for their failure to deliver a service and we cannot tolerate a situation where the staff are expected to take a hit on their wages and working conditions because of crisis management right at the top. We remain available for talks."
London Midland said it was 'very disappointed', having made what it considered to be a fair offer. It invited the RMT to resume negotiations.
Meanwhile, both RMT and ASLEF staff at Southern are being balloted for industrial action in connection with pay for working on 28 December, while ASLEF drivers at First Capital Connect are voting on whether to intensify their present unofficial ban on overtime and rest day working by striking. Again the dispute is over a two-year pay deal, and the result of that vote is due on 9 December.
Reader Comments:
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H Harvey, Birmingham
Mr Crow and Co will take the rail network and rail workers on his personal ego trip just as Arthur Scargill did with his coal miners.
Make no mistake about it there are lots of little Mandarins in the DfT the labour party and other parties who will give their total support to him
His members in London may still have a job at the end of his ego trip but all those north of Watford will not fair as well.
So I plead with rail workers to tell Mr Crow to shut up and put his brain in gear before he puts his mouth in motion.
Now is not the time to fight for massive pay rises when others have lost their jobs and many more are likely to join them
RMT and ASLEF members should remind Mr Crow and Co that they will not get paid when on strike but Mr Crow will. Tell him that he can either have 20 members earning £20,000 per year or 10 members earning £40,000 per year.
Rails time has come Mr Crow must be stopped before he does destroy the railways and his and other union members.
PS: I am a strong supporter of trades unions