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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 ::RMTnewsCABLE CARPAY VICTORYRMT has secured a major payvictory for membersworking on the Emirates AirLine Cable Car which crosses theRiver Thames in London thatwill see wages rise by between14.35 per cent and 22.35 percent.Operator Grade 1 workers –who were on the lowest payscale – will receive a 22.35 percent increase in pay. OperatorGrade 2 workers will see anincrease of 15.80 per cent andTechnicians a rise of 14.35 percent.Part of the deal meant thatall bonus payments wereconsolidated into the wagescales.RMT Docklands LightRailway branch secretary RayShackleton, hot-foot fromwinning another disciplinaryhearing for a member, explainedthat along with local rep PhillipHong they had fought hard toconsolidate any bonuses as apart of a process in winningparity with other DLR workers.Phillip Hong also explainedthat winning the deal hadstemmed the 50% turnover instaff."We were dealing withseasoned staff leaving thecompany whilst negotiating thenew pay claim being mentorsfor new members to get a fairdeal and assisting in training."This has been a great knockon effect in creating a muchmore stable environment andkeeping good relations withmanagement,” he said.Ray also praised the work ofDave Marshall of the union’sorganising unit in winningrecognition for operational staffbut explained that they werestill looking for recognition forstaff employed on a differentcontract working for MaceHAND OVER: Outgoing Docklands Light Railway branch secretary Ray Shackleton is to hand the job over to Aaran Gordon next month.DEAL: Level two technical operators Marian Cinca and Raimonda Gaulilcilene, local rep Phillip Hong, Mick Cash, level two technicaloperator Kamila Paulowska and incoming DLR branch secretary Aaran Gordon.Macro.RMT general secretary MickCash said that the paybreakthrough proved that whenworkers are organised into anindustrial trade union they cansecure significant pay victories.“RMT has achieved a realwin for our members who areworking in a city withexceptionally high living costs”.“I would also congratulateDLR branch for reaching out toworkers in other areas withintheir sphere of influence andsecuring such a magnificentresult.“They have really shownwhat trade union membershipand being organised in theworkplace can achieve,” he said.VICTORY: Emirates Air Line Cable Car rep Phillip Hong explains the deal in the sky5

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 ::RMTnewsSUPER PUMADISASTER 10 YEARS ONScottish government refuses to backhelicopter safety inquiryRMT repeated its call for a fullpublic inquiry into helicoptersafety in the North Sea earlierthis month as workers fromacross the industry marked theanniversary of the Super Pumatragedy that alerted the nationto the dangerous workingenvironment for offshoreworkers.April 1 2019 was the tenthanniversary of the fatalhelicopter accident off Peterheadin which all fourteen offshoreworkers and two crew on boardwere killed.They were travelling from theMiller Oil Platform to Aberdeenin an AS332 L2 Super Pumamodel which experiencedcatastrophic failure of the mainrotor gear box – very similar tothe causes of two ditchings andthe fatal accident off Norway onApril 29 2016.RMT sent condolences to thefamilies, friends and colleaguesaffected, especially as they wereforced to endure a FatalAccident Inquiry process whichtook nearly five years andachieved next to nothing in theway of justice or meaningfullessons.Today there is growing angerover the refusal of the Scottishgovernment to reconsider itsopposition to a public inquiryinto helicopter safety.North East Labour MSP LewisMacdonald has called onministers to reconsider theirdecision not to back a publicinquiry into helicopter safety inthe North Sea, after he receivedwhat he has described as a“deeply disappointing” replyfrom Energy Minister PaulWheelhouse.6Lewis Macdonald regrettedthat decision not to back thecalls being made by theworkforce and their unions for afull public inquiry intohelicopter safety.“The Offshore Co-ordinatingGroup has previouslyhighlighted that the helicopterjourney to and from work is thebiggest single safety concern foroffshore workers.“When so many workers arecoming together to highlightsafety concerns, it is vital thatboth Scottish and UKgovernments take on boardwhat they have to say.“That is why SNP Ministersat Holyrood must reconsider thisdecision and back calls fromworkers for a UK-wide publicinquiry into helicopter safety,”he said.RMT general secretary MickCash added that while theScottish government’sengagement on offshorehelicopter safety was welcome itwill be of little consolation toNorth Sea oil and gas workerswhose confidence in the safetyof the offshore helicopter fleethas seriously declined.The commercial S-92 fleet inthe North Sea is beingintensively used and the reviewof CAP1145 will not involve thetrade unions or Step Change inSafety, the independent safetybody for the offshore industry.“We are not confident thatthe CAP1145 review will lookseriously at commercialpressures on safety standardsand it won’t tackle the justicedeficit that families of victimsof the fatal helicopter incidentsin the last decade have enduredfrom the Fatal Accident Inquiryprocess.“Ultimately, the Scottishgovernment has sided with theinterests of the oil and gasindustry and against offshoreworkers in opposing the call fora public inquiry into offshorehelicopter safety,” he said.DISASTER: Wreckage from a helicopter being brought ashore after fourteen oil workers and two crew died when a Bond SuperPuma crashed off the Aberdeenshire coast on April 1 2009.

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 ::RMTnewsORKNEY FERRYFUNDING CRISISNot for the first time RMT membersemployed by Orkney Ferries are facedwith pay and conditions falling behindother ferry operators as well as service cutsleading to job losses as the Scottishgovernment and Orkney Islands Councilclashed in a very public manner overfunding arrangements to keep the crucialinter-islands service running.As well as the disputed fundingarrangements to keep the service runningfor the next twelve months’ there is theadded complications of the aging ferry fleetwhich was clearly no longer fit for purpose.With RMT membership levels at 100 percent on Orkney Ferries these threats to jobsand conditions were robustly challenged byRMT general secretary Mick Cash in a letterto Scotland’s First Minister where it wasmade clear that any attacks on terms andconditions or threats to jobs would befiercely resisted while also pointing out thatthe union had been warning the governmentfor some time that significant investmentwas urgently required to secure new vesselson this crucial lifeline ferry service.Rather than face up to the perfect stormof insufficient funding and the need for newtonnage, a spokesperson for the Scottishgovernment made reference to the fact thatOrkney Ferries members were awarded overRMT regional organiser GordonMartin speaks to crew11 per cent over two years at the last paynegotiations.The spokesperson deliberately avoidedmaking the point that this pay award wasmade on the basis of a lengthy comparisonwith other ferry operators pay andconditions review and almost four weeks ofindustrial action by RMT members atOrkney Ferries.Along with Donald Graham from theRMT organising unit RMT regional organiserGordon Martin visited members at OrkneyFerries last month and took the opportunityto inform senior management face to facethat RMT would do everything necessary todefend members’ interests in these uncertainand volatile political and economic times.“I informed members that I will keepthem informed of developments through onboard reps and I will make the journey backto Orkney if and when required to secure apositive outcome for our membership,” saidGordon Martin.SOUTHERNPROTESTRMT DEMONSTRATION AGAINST DRIVER-ONLYOPERATION ON SOUTHERN RAILWAYSTIME: FRIDAY APRIL 26 2019, NOON.VENUE: OUTSIDE KEOLIS UK, EVERGREEN BUILDING NORTH, 160 EUSTON ROAD, LONDON NW1Friday April 26 marks the third anniversary of RMT’s campaign against the extension of DOO on Southern andRMT members from across the country will be gather in London in a show of solidarity with members atSouthern. Keolis owns 35 per cent of Govia, and is itself 70 per cent owned by the French state railway.RMTwill continue to fight to retain a second safety critical person on the train as well as achieving a safer accessiblerailway for all.7

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 ::RMTnewsPRIVATISED BUSESFAILING THE NATIONNew figures reveal fallingpassenger satisfactionwhen asked about thecosts of travelling by busRMT has warned that theprivatised bus system was stillfailing Britain’s communitiesas new figures from the latestbus Passenger Survey and theDepartment for Transporthighlighted the problems ofBritain’s costly buses.Figures from the surveypublished last month show thatpassenger satisfaction isconsistently lowest when theyare asked about the cost offares, with some areas showingdecreasing satisfaction since2017.The Bus Passenger Surveyfor 2018 shows that passengersatisfaction is consistentlylowest in relation to value formoney.The overall average figuresfor satisfaction with value formoney are unchanged from2017 at 67 per cent, but therange reveals that some areasare now doing worse on valuefor money than they were lastyear.Within these figuressatisfaction with value formoney was worst among thosecommuting to work and thoseaged 16-34 which are thosewithin Labour’s targetconstituency for the free travel.In his foreword, JeffHalliwell acknowledges thisproblem: “It is apparent fromthe value for money ratings ofsome bus operators/groups thatmany passengers are reactingto fare increases and the waythat extra cost is hitting theirpockets. Are some passengersso sensitive to the absolutecost and any fare increasesthat they are voting with their8feet?”.DfT quarterly statspublished separately show thatfares outside London haverisen faster than wages overthe last year. In metropolitanareas they rose by 3.3 per centbetween December 2017 andDecember 2018 and in nonmetropolitan areas they rose bya whopping 9.7 per cent.This might also help toexplain why there were fivemillion fewer bus journeys innon-metropolitan areas in thelast quarter of 2018 than overthe same time the previousyear.RMT general secretary Mickcash said that the surveyresults confirmed thatpassengers were being hit hardby the cost of Britain’s buses,with commuters and youngpeople feeling it most."The Department ofTransport’s own figures showfares rising faster than wageseverywhere and by a whopping9.7 per cent in nonmetropolitan areas, whilepassenger journeys are falling."We also need to rememberthat bus services are beingwiped out in some areas due tocuts and cherry-picking by theprivate operators and that ofcourse is missing from thissurvey. You can't ask peoplefor their opinions on busservices where they simplydon't exist."It’s time for a newapproach to Britain’s busservice which puts the needs ofits people and its workersahead of profits,” he said.FREIGHTLPENSIONVICTORYRMT claimed victory in theFreightliner Ltd and FreightlinerHeavy Haul pension dispute lastmonth following an Avoidanceof Disputes process which led tothe company withdrawingproposals to close the pensionscheme to new staff.RMT cancelled planned strikeaction for last month andmembers worked as usual.The union had been indispute with the company overits failure to commit tomaintaining the current scheme.The company had proposed todeny entry to the defined benefitRailways Pension Scheme fornew starters and place them into an inferior definedcontribution scheme.Defined benefit (DB) schemesare based on earnings andfunded as a promise to theemployee, defining the benefitsthey will receive in retirement.Defined contribution (DC)schemes are an investmentscheme with no guarantee as towhat the employee will receiveas retirement benefits.The proposal would have alsoaffected existing staff andscheme members adversely asDB schemes need new entrantsand the employer payingcontributions to make surefunding levels remain healthy.This would have inevitably ledto higher contributions and cutsto benefits for existing members.The strike ballot andmembers willingness to takestrike action forced Freightlinerto back down and stating that“there will be no changes toeligibility to join the RPS forexisting employees or newstarters".RMT general secretary MickCash said that it was a massivevictory for Freightliner members

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 ::INERParliamentary ColumnFIGHTING TO WINIt’s been a busy but successful fewmonths for RMT’s Parliamentarygroup continuing to support theGuards on Trains campaign anddelighted that we have had thebreakthrough on Northern andSouth Western.The members there, as with all theDOO disputes, have beenabsolutely fantastic and a credit tothe trade union movement.A further positive development inrespect of the campaign for Guardson Trains was correspondencebetween the ParliamentaryTransport Select Committee andEquality & Human RightsCommission (EHRC).The EHRC stated that driver onlytrains could potentially be a breachof the Equality Act for disabledpeople which could be animportant issue for the union’s legaland campaigning work in this area.and congratulated them onbehalf of RMT on themagnificent result.“Freightliner members haddelivered an overwhelmingmandate in a magnificentshow of solidarity in a ballotto defend their valuablepension scheme as it currentlyoperates.“With strike actionlooming the company had totake notice and has now cometo its senses and committed tomaintaining the scheme.“RMT mounted a greatcampaign, with membersmeetings across the countryaddressed by union officerson the proposals and callingfor the members to fight.“This is an importantlesson for our members andthe employers – RMT is readyto take action to defend ourpension schemes,” he said.RMTnewsWe also need to staff our stationsand I was glad to table aParliamentary motion in support ofRMT’s Staff Our Stations (SOS)campaign and the vital role stationstaff play for a safe, secure andaccessible railway. My colleagueand Shadow Rail Minister RachaelMaskell also tabled a number ofquestions to ministers on thisissue.Labour’s frontbench, includingJeremy, used Prime Minister’sQuestions to wear RMT badges forthe Save Springburn Campaignand it is an absolute scandal thatthe fragmentation and shorttermism of the privatised railwaymeans that rail workers’ skills andthe service they provide are notprotected – another reason why weneed a nationally integrated railwayunder public ownership.We welcome the victory on DHLwhere, coupled the threat of strikeaction, the threat of Parliamentaryaction also seemed to have thedesired effect in getting members adecent pay rise.We continue to oppose outsourcingon the railway – a concernreinforced by the precarious stateof Interserve – and we have tableda Parliamentary motion on poorpay and poor industrial relations atRail Gourmet.We have also had a victory foranother group of outsourcedworkers – our tube cleaners – whowere threatened with hundreds ofjob cuts. The union was to hold arally in Parliament and planned ademonstration in support of thecleaners. The threat of theseplanned events helped leveragepressure to ensure job cuts werescrapped.On buses, you will see fromprevious editions of RMT News thatwe have been engaged in a lot ofactivity around Matt Western’s TenMinute Rule Bill to promote areduction in bus workers’ hours,and the issue was raised directlywith the Buses Minister by mycolleague Grahame Morris at theTransport Select Committee.On taxis we are also hoping toproduce a Bill to highlight the needfor a legal definition of plying forhire, which we know is a keydemand of your taxi members.In the maritime sector we havecontinued to press the case for UKseafarer jobs and employmentrights, and as I write thegovernment has agreed to meetwith the RMT Parliamentary Groupto discuss these concerns.On offshore – with the support ofthe RMT my colleague AlexCunningham secured a fullParliamentary debate on offshorehelicopter safety to press the casefor a public inquiry into offshoresafety.We have also held a successfulRMT Political School where RMTmembers were able to discusstransport policy with the ShadowSecretary of State Andy McDonald,followed by more discussions withMPs members as to how we canuse Parliament to support RMTcampaigns.These are just some of theactivities the RMT Parliamentarygroup has been engaged in. Theemployers and government shouldknow that when we fight we fight towin.Ian Mearns is Labour MP forGateshead and chair of the RMTParliamentary group of MPs9

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 ::RMTnewsSTANDING UP TOASSAULTS AND FORJUSTICE AT WORKRMT’s supervisory, clerical and associated gradesorganising conference discussed assaults, closures,harmonisation and new technology“The main business is whathappens in your everyday role,in your workplace,” BrianBuchanan, Edinburgh No. 1 andPortobello said as he welcomeddelegates to the supervisory,clerical and associated gradesconference to his home town ofEdinburgh.RMT NEC member BillRawcliffe said that it was timeto stand up to assaults onmembers’ terms and conditionsin the name of technologicaladvance.“If our members are havingnew technology foisted uponthem, employers are not goingthrough the correct procedures,”he said.Kim O’Shaughnessy,Lewisham, Southwark andDistrict raised concerns overattempts by other unions topoach members working insupervisory and clerical grades.Mr Rawcliffe said: “What we10need to do is to continuerepresenting people properly,correctly, not just because wewant numbers in the union, butbecause they care about them”.More complicated was theissue of grade harmonisation.Last year the supervisoryconference passed a motioncalling for harmonisation ofgrades across Train OperatingCompanies (TOCs) owned by thesame group. “We found somedifficulty with that,” the NECmember conceded. “All thesecompanies have separatecompany councils, and thosecompany councils are thecustodians of terms andconditions in those companies.Whereas once membersreceived the same pay for thesame job across the railway, MrRawcliffe stated thatprivatisation “cast all thatasunder”, explaining: “You canthrow a mirror on the floor andsmash it but trying to put thatback together is very difficult.“What the companies want todo is harmonise downwards,they’ll go to the lowest commondenominator,” he warned.The union is compiling areport on grade disparities “witha view to using that informationin future talks”, he continued,saying this was an opportunityfor “not just defending whatwe’ve got but pushing forwardso we can get better conditions”.Andy Budds, Leeds Cityrecalled that, upon the 2004merger of Arriva TrainsNorthern and First NorthWestern into Northern Rail,grade harmonisation had led

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