CONTRACTING OUT OF FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND BREACH OF CORE WORK AGREEMENT – HITACHI RAIL (LNER CONTRACT)

Our Ref: BR4/13/1

 

19^th January 2024

 

Dear RMT Member,

 

CONTRACTING OUT OF FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND BREACH OF CORE WORK AGREEMENT – HITACHI RAIL (LNER CONTRACT)

 

Your representatives met with the company today to discuss the contracting out of facilities maintenance to Mitie in Bounds Green and Craigentinny Depots. 

 

The decision to contract out this work is contrary to our Core Work Agreement which was made as part of our last Pay Settlement. We have asked several questions on your behalf, such as the length and extent of the contract, the business rationale for this decision including what steps the company has taken to understand the safety impact, considering past safety incidents involving contractors, and finally how the company intends to give job security assurances to members that other areas of work will not also be undertaken by contractors now that they have not upheld their side of our Core Work Agreement which we made in good faith and have upheld. 

 

This represents a serious breakdown in trust which we expect the company to address in their response. I must also report that the company did not have answers to questions posed by your representatives and has issued no related documentation, which we have advised is unacceptable. 

 

Your Union is always available for good faith discussions but if an employer walks away from agreements we have made, then we will have no recourse but to respond industrially. 

 

I will keep you advised of any developments in due course. In the meantime, stick together and stand firm.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary