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