10 June 2014
RMT Press Office
RMT, TSSA and Unite members at Transport for London will be taking a further 24 hours of joint strike action from this Friday morning in a dispute over an all-out attack on pay and pensions that would condemn to staff to a life of poverty in retirement.
Members have been instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between:-
• 05.59 hours Friday 13th June 2014 and 05.58 hours Saturday 14th June 2014.
The action is in protest at TFL’s plans to impose their “Pay for Performance” proposals
Over the last six months TFL have point-blank refused to engage in serious negotiations over their plans for what amount to a performance-related pay freeze and savage cuts to pension rights.
The savage attacks that TFL are looking to bulldoze through would mean:
• Non-consolidated, lump sum one-off pay rises that would not count towards pensionable pay
• A knock on impact that would lead to reduced final salary pensions
• An immediate pay freeze – stretching over the next five years - for at least 50% of staff
• The annual pay round placed at the discretion of managers and no longer fully negotiated with the recognised staff unions
• Pay rises determined by punitive and discriminatory individual “performance” processes that would unleash a tidal-wave of bullying and harassment.
The impetus behind management’s proposals is purely and simply cash-led cuts, a situation that will become worse over the forthcoming years as there are further reductions in TFL’s grant and the expectation that further assaults on jobs, pay and pensions are being lined up for the future.
RMT acting general secretary Mick Cash said:
“The current TFL pension proposals are nothing less than a concerted attack on terms and conditions and would have a major effect on the future of the entire TfL Pension Fund. TfL have refused to budge on this important issue despite the staffs clear rejection of their proposals. The unions have demanded that TFL immediately withdraw the toxic “Pay For Performance” plans and get back round the table but our concerns have been ignored and that is why further strike action is back on.”
“This attack on TFL pay and pensions has to be seen in the wider context of Government austerity cuts to TFL’s funding and once again it is the staff who are being lined up to take a hit that would not only whack them in the pocket now but would condemn them to lives of poverty in retirement
“TFL should be in no doubt of about our members determination to defend pay and pensions after the rock solid support for the last wave of action and they should listening to our case, withdrawing the current plans and talking seriously about pay and pensions plans that protect and enhance the living standards of TFL staff members.
ends
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