April/May 2015rmtbakerloobranch.org.uk @bakerloormt

We must strike againto beat cutsTicket offices have begun to close,full-time station staff have receivedre-location le/ers, displacinghundreds of staff against theirwishes, and were less than a yearaway from the implementation of anew staffing model that will seenearly 900 frontline station jobsslashed.

There are other cuts ongoing too,including a2acks on jobs in thetraining department. In thebackground, LUis comissioningdesigners to work on potentiallydriverless trains, signallingpotential job cuts ordeskilling/downgrading for drivers inthe future. And while theyrea2acking us, the company expects usto deliver 24-hour running, and thinksit can buy us off with a cash bribe.

To push management back, weneed to strike again. We may nowneed to reballot in order to takeaction, and exactly when we strike is a

ma2er of debateand discussionwithin the union- but thequestion iswhen, notif.

This is a fightfor the future of your job. Even if yourposition is not under threat, thinkabout the future our bosses want forour industry: staffed at bare-minimum levels by increasinglyde-skilled and casualised workers,with more and more involvementfrom private sector companies(whether through retail outlets instations or relentless outsourcing andsub-contracting).

The RMTs Every Job Ma/erscampaign is a fight for a futurewhere workers and passengers comefirst. Get involved in your union andhave your say in deciding our nextsteps.

Migrant workers welcome here!In the 2015 general election, all majorparties - and most prominently the UnitedKingdom Independence Party (Ukip) -have resorted to xenophobicscaremongering to whip up fear and hatredabout immigration.

We are a hugely diverse workforce,comprising British-born and migrantworkers from a wide range of backgrounds:we cannot allow ourselves to be divided bycapitalist politicians.

The truth is, Britain is not full. There areover 600,000 empty homes in Britain. And,contrary to Ukips lies, immigrants actuallymake a net contribution to the UK: A studyby University College London found that,since 2000, European immigrants have paid34% more in taxes than they claim backfrom the state; non-European immigrantspaid 2% more. The study also found thatimmigrants are 45% less likely to receivestate benefits or tax credits than peoplenative to the UK, and 3% less likely to live insocial housing.

Immigrants and the others are oftenmade into scapegoats in tough times. In fact,the banking crisis, austerity cuts to publicservices and Tory government policies areto blame for the problems we all face, butex-banker Nigel Farage and his wealthychums (Ukip supporters include a numberof aristocrats and millionaires) have cleverlydeflected the blame onto JohnnyForeigner.

The RMThas a proud record oforganising migrant workers on LondonUnderground. RMTBakerloo believes that,as workers, we have more in common witheach other than with bosses who happen toshare our nationality.

It looks like were heading for anew dispute over pay. After unionsrejected LUs initial insulting offer(0.5% in year one, then RPI in yeartwo, with two non-consolidated250 bonuses for implementingNight Tube), our bosses made animproved proposal...

0.75% in year one!The only other change from the

previous offer was that the companyproposed to offer T/Ops, trackworkers, and signal workers anadditional 250 Night Tube bonus.This is a clear a2empt to divide andconquer. RMThas rejected this offer.

Our pay claim is not just aboutsalaries: we want a four-day weekfor all grades, and the extension ofstaff benefits such as travel passes toall contractors and outsourced staff.We want the pay award to be adecent increase for all workers,especially the lowest paid.

We will keep you updated astalks continue.

GENERAL ELECTION

2015: TORIES WILLBAN TUBE STRIKESIF THEY WIN - KICKTHEM OUT!

USE YOUR VOTE ON 7 MAY!

LUs second joke pay offer rejected...

This article is abridged from a longer piece,and was wri2en as a contribution to discussion. For more, see rmtbakerloobranch.org.uk

In theJanuary/Februaryedition ofBakerloo News,we reported onan issue raisedby trains safetyreps:

management were coming intodrivers cabs to conduct CMSassessments using iPads (the glarefrom which is extremelydistracting), and subjecting thedriver, whilst driving, to a barrageof questions.

Drivers should be concentratingon the road ahead, not havingsomeone quizzing them andtapping away on an iPad. After all,it's not potatoes we are carrying!Management insisted there was noproblem, so the issue was referredto Tier 2, a commi2ee of full-timehealth and safety reps.Management told the union weshould be embracing newtechnologies, but we insisted thatsafety experts from HumanFactors, a safety consultancy LUuses, should investigate the issueand share their findings.

It was no great surprise to yoursafety reps to learn that the HumanFactors folk concluded what wehad been telling management all

along: that iPads in cabs couldconstitute a distraction to thedriver.

Any driver subjected to thispractice in future will now have theright to ask the manager to turn thething off, or leave the cab. This is animportant victory for our right toget on with our job withoutunecessary distractions frommanagement!

For further information orguidance, contact your local RMTsafety representative.

* You have the right to join the

union

* You have the right to

participate in official industrial

action, such as strikes, overtime

bans, and other actions.

* It is illegal for your employer

to discriminate against you for

joining a union or participating in

official industrial action

RMT is fighting for your jobs to

be made permanent. Join the

union, get involved!

Bakerloo News is a monthlynewsletter from the Bakerloobranch of the RMT union.

To submit a story for Bakerloo News, orto contact the branch, please email bakerlooline@rmt.org.uk, or ring Branch Secretary Jim McDaid on 07917 131692

Fixed-termcontract CSAs:Know your rights!

No radio, no problem? Noway! Resist the rule change!Currently, if there is no train radio andno contact between the driver and thecontroller, the train tips out and runsempty through the affected section.Rightly so.

But a change to rules and procedureswhich the company want to imposefrom 4 May would see controllerscontacting the Station Supervisor, whowould then contact the driver via thehand-held portable radio, while thetrain remains in passenger service. Thepotential for errors is enormous andconsequences severe.

Drivers would lose direct contactwith the controller and stationsupervisors would be forced to act as

the go between and log all messagespassed and received verbatim.

All unions have rejected this changeas unsafe, unworkable andcomplicated. Your senior safety repshave advised our union to use allmeans necessary to resist this change,including action short of strike.

We will keep you updated.

HAPPY MAY DAY:INTERNATIONALWORKERS DAYFor information on RMT activitieson May Day (Friday 1 May), seebit.ly/rmt-md15

Victory on in-cab iPaddistraction

GET ACTIVE INYOUR BRANCH!The next RMT Bakerloo branchmeeting takes place at 16:00 on

Tuesday 5 May at The

Coach & Horses, 1 GreatMarlborough Street, W1F 7HG(near Oxford Circus). All branchmembers welcome.

iPads on stations

LUwill issue all station staffwith an iPad Mini throughout2015.The union position is: your jobdescription does not mention theiPads, and theyre not part of youressential PPE or safetyequipment, so you dont have touse them.We are seeking assurances frommanagement at local andcompany-wide level that nomember of station staff whochooses not to use the iPads willbe disciplined or performancemanaged for this choice.

Key victory at Oxo

The years of having your meal breakat Oxo constantly interrupted toopen the messroom door forcolleagues who dont have keys willsoon be at an end.

Following union pressure,management have agreed to fit akeypad lock to the door.

That means easier access for allstaff, and more restful breaks!

Latest advice on thereview and appealprocess for station staffrelocation: bit.ly/rmt-relocation-advice