RATES OF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024

Our Ref: BR4/0001/SP

18^th March 2024

Dear RMT Member,

RATES OF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024 – STORY PLANT

In line with Union Policy, a pay claim for an increase in pay and improved terms and conditions has been submitted to the company. Your negotiating team have held pay talks with the company and the following offer has been received:

Pay Award: an increase of 3.5%, applicable to all rates, including Fitter on Call with the exception of steel on steel and lodge travel, from 1^st April 2024. A table of pay rates is available here.
PTS Rate: steel on steel to be paid to all on shift when it is paid to the operator on the steel.
Family Friendly Policies: introduction of a policy for members with child caring responsibilities to receive up to one week of paid emergency parental leave.
Annual Leave & Bank Holidays in Lieu: the option to take an unpaid lieu day when working a bank holiday has been put to members in a survey. Members working a bank holiday would only receive the shift rate and not the shift rate plus bank holiday pay for that day and would be able to take the bank holiday day(s) at 8 hours basic pay as they wish. The survey has now closed, and the company will consider ways to enable both options.
Festive Working Arrangements: the company will commit to a cutoff date of 10^th December to confirm whether or not members are required to be at work so that those not required can plan for the holidays without booking annual leave
Tool Allowances for Fitters: A yearly allowance of £350 available to refurb or maintenance fitters, including apprentices who have passed probation. A policy will be written, and this will be claimed via the expended system.
Lodge Travel: the monetary value of the hours will no longer apply, and the rule will be amended to:

“You are guaranteed a minimum number of contracted hours per week at your basic pay rate, please see your contract of employment for details. These can be made up of any other pay components such as travel time, holidays, sick pay, lodge travel and are not restricted to worked time.

Where lodge travel is used to make up your guaranteed hours then this rate will be ‘topped up’ to your basic rate of pay for the applicable hours.

A holiday day will be treated as 8 hours, for the avoidance of doubt.”

Having carefully considered the matter, your union’s National Executive Committee has instructed me to hold an e-referendum of you and your colleagues so that you can have the final say on it. Members are advised that a rejection of this offer will lead to a dispute and a ballot for strike action and action short of a strike.

The referendum will close at 11:00 am on Thursday 28^th March 2024.

Referendum Instructions

Members will shortly receive an email from 'RMT Referenda' which will allow you to register your vote. Please follow the instructions and make sure you complete this by no later than 11:00 am on Thursday 28^th March 2024.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU USE YOUR VOTE

If you know of any member who has not received their voting email or if you are having any difficulties voting, please contact referenda@rmt.org.uk or the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706. If you do not receive your vote immediately, please check your junk/spam folders before contacting us for a replacement.

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch

General Secretary