Tube signallers strike off

Submitted by Janine on 24 December, 2004 - 10:09

RMT press release
Strike action suspended following eleventh-hour Tube deal - 24 Dec 2004

STRIKE ACTION by 330 RMT Tube signals and line-control staff scheduled for New Year’s Eve and January 4 has been suspended after the union reached an eleventh-hour deal with London Underground today.

If accepted the deal will give signallers and line-control staff a 35-hour week from July, and staged increases in pay to between £31,450 for an ordinary signaller and £44,000 at the top end of the line-control scale by July 2007.

“Our members’ determination has achieved an excellent deal that puts them at the top of the industrial pay league in Britain,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“I am pleased to say that there is no longer any threat of job losses, that rostering will remain subject to local negotiation and that LUL has withdrawn proposals to cut minimum rest periods between shifts to 11 hours.

“The offer will now put to a referendum of our members, with a recommendation to accept.

“This is the deal our members have been waiting for four years to achieve, and Londoners can now enjoy the festive season without any prospect of disruption to Tube services,” Bob Crow said.

... and the previous press release when the strike was still on ...

Signals and control staff to strike unless Tube talks make progress - 23 Dec 2004

DECEMBER 23: RMT SIGNALS and line control staff on London Underground will strike on New Year’s Eve and January 4 unless significant progress is made at today’s talks in the four-year dispute over pay rates, pay structures, hours and conditions.

Members voted for action by 186 (93.5 per cent) to 13.

“Our members have today made it absolutely clear that after four years waiting for London Underground to sort out this mess they have finally run out of patience,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“These talks were supposed to be about improving pay structures and conditions, but the company’s proposals would not only make our members’ conditions worse but would also undermine safety.

“We have made it abundantly clear that longer shifts, shorter minimum rest-breaks and the loss of dozens of jobs are simply not acceptable.

“Twelve hours is too long to be in charge of a signal box or control panel, and cutting minimum rest time between shifts from 12 to 11 is not acceptable either.

“The RMT executive has therefore today agreed that, unless significant progress is made at today’s talks, our signals and line control members will strike for 24 hours on New Year’s Eve and again on January 4,” Bob Crow said.

ends

Note to editors:If today's talks fail to make significant progress, RMT signals and line control staff at LUL will not book on for shifts due to begin between noon on December 31 and noon on January 1 2005, and between 21:00 on January 3 and 21:00 on January 4.

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