Tube Lines quickly conceded staff and nominee passes for all in the face of a solid three-day RMT strike in May. This was a big win for those it benefited (but less so for those who live outside London and work hours that mean they can't or don't use public transport). That should have told us that serious action wins, and when management quickly made clear that they had no intention of conceding anything on pensions, we should have gone out again, strategically targeting key work over the early summer.
But instead, the campaign has slowed and stalled, and there is now a danger of it grinding to a halt.
Management say that they "can't" give us anything on pensions until the "future ownership" of Tube Lines is decided. That sounds to us like they want a smooth ride to reprivatisation, especially as Amey is waiting in the wings, rubbing its corporate hands at the prospect, and PriceWaterhouse Coopers - the accountants who helped design and implement the catastrophic PPP - is sniffing around. This is all the more reason to make reprivatisation a less attractive option by showing potential new owners that Tube Lines has a belligerent workforce and comes with passes and pensions attached.
Some momentum has been lost, as the 'Joint Working Party' has trundled on. Experience should tell us that JWPs deliver results only when employers feel the pressure of industrial action - without that, they become unproductive talking shops.
We need the action back on. Whether that is during, between or immediately after the Olympics is a tactical decision for rank-and-file reps and members.
