Rates if Pay & Conditions of Service 2013-South West Trains

Circular No: IR/693/13

Our Ref: BR2/0001/SWT; BR2/0001/IL; BR2/0001/CC; BR2/0001/ATW

27th November 2013

TO ALL BRANCHES, REGIONAL COUNCILS & REGIONAL OFFICES


PAY CIRCULAR

ITEMS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS CIRCULAR:

South West Trains (BR2/0001/SWT)
Island Line (BR2/0001/IL)
Cross Country (BR2/0001/CC)
Arriva Trains Wales (BR2/0001/ATW)

Dear colleague,

Rates of Pay & Conditions of Service 2013 – South West Trains

In line with Union Policy, a pay claim for an increase in pay and improved terms and conditions has been submitted. The Regional Organiser has met with the company and the following offer has been made:-

· A one-year offer of 3% on basic rates of pay or £600, whichever is greater, effective from 7th October 2013.

· London & South East Allowances will remain at the current rates.

The pay offer also includes the former DB Schenker staff transferred to SWT in September 2013. These grades will, receive a pro rata percentage increase relating to the date of their 2014 pay anniversary date (1st January 2014 for Engineering team members, 1st April 2014 for Fitters & OTMs and 1st July 2014 for FAMS assistants).

The next pay review for these grades would then align with other SWT grades in October 2014

The offer is the subject of a referendum which opened on Tuesday 26th November and it closes on Thursday 17th December. If you have any South West Trains members in your branch and they do not receive their voting paper, please ask them to ring the helpline or alternatively, email info@rmt.org.uk

Yours sincerely


Bob Crow
General Secretary

Sunday Leave Arrangements, Guards-South West Trains

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circular No IR/683/13

 

 

To All Branches, Regional Offices & Regional Councils

 

 

Our Ref: BR2/7/1

21st November 2013

 

 

Dear Colleagues

 

SUNDAY LEAVE ARRANGEMENTS, GUARDS – SOUTH WEST TRAINS  

 

Further to my previous circular on the above matter dated 12thSeptember 2013 (IR/535/13), in which I advised you that I had received a resolution from our Wimbledon Branch, informing me that South West Trains were attempting to arbitrarily alter theagreed Sunday Leave Arrangements.

 

I can now confirm that the company has informed me that it is not their intention to change the Sunday Working Agreement and that the abrogation of the Agreement was down to the actions of one manager. The manager in question has now been advised that he was wrong and the agreed arrangements are now being honoured.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our members at Wimbledon for bringing this matter to my attention. I trust this keeps you fully advised on the matter.

 

Yours sincerely

Bob Crow

General Secretary

 

Rates of Pay & Conditions of Service 2011-South West Trains

Circular No: IR/666/13

Our Ref: BR2/0001/SWT; BR4/0001/A(C ); RT/0001/UPS

18th November 2013

TO ALL BRANCHES, REGIONAL COUNCILS & REGIONAL OFFICES

Dear colleague,

Rates of Pay & Conditions of Service 2011 – South West Trains

You may recall that a Joint Working Party to investigate a reduction in the working week for our South West Trains Guard members formed part of the settlement of the 2011 pay claim. However, this issue is still outstanding and the Regional Organiser has advised me that there has been a distinct lack of progress.

The GGC has re-considered the matter and it has instructed me to inform the company that unless genuine improvements are made towards a satisfactory settlement, then a dispute situation will exist between our organisations.

Yours sincerely

Bob Crow
General Secretary

Employment Tribunal Cases-Limitation Warning

To: All Branches and Regional Offices

 

LA/32/13

 

Circular No NP/308/13

 

07 November 2013

 

 

Dear colleague

 

Employment Tribunal Cases – Limitation Warning

 

As you are all aware as from 29th July 2013 fees are now payable in all Employment Tribunal cases. How much is paid will be determined by the type of claim it is. There are two levels.

Type A – unpaid wages claims; pay in lieu of notice ; holiday pay and redundancy pay the Issue fee will be £160 and the Hearing fee will be £230

Type B – all other cases , unfair dismissal cases; unfair dismissal and all discrimination cases the Issue Fee will be £250 and the hearing fee will be £950.

 

There are no exemptions and the case will not proceed until a fee has been received or a remission or rebate has been applied for. We are advising all members to apply for a remission of the fee this will require an assessment of the members capital and gross earnings. We want members to apply for a remission as we want to demonstrate that members cannot afford to pay these ridiculous amounts.

 

The Union will pay any fee if our Legal Team has advised that there are reasonable prospects of success and we take up the case. We will not pay any fee until the case has been assessed and considered on its merits. Therefore it is very important that you are vigilant and don’t delay in sending full papers to the team for consideration. Do not delay in sending papers; don’t hang around waiting for an appeal otherwise your delay could entail the member paying out money that they may not get back if we decide there isn’t a case.

 

Please note that the time limit in an Employment Tribunal is 3 months less one day from the date of dismissal in an unfair dismissal case NOT the date of the appeal and from the date of the act of discrimination and not the outcome of the grievance. So for example if the date of dismissal is 7th November 2013 the member will have until 6th February 2014 to lodge an ET1 and pay the fee or apply for a remission.

 

It remains the members’ responsibility to lodge the ET1 and pay the fee until they hear from our legal team that we will take up the case. You must ensure that members know this. The message must be don’t leave seeking advice to the last minute. Also ensure that all the paper work is with our legal team so that a proper assessment is made otherwise the case will not be considered until the papers are with the L2 form.

 

Please pass this on to all members so they know not to delay coming to us for assistance.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Robert Crow

General Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMBINATION OF CLEANING GRADES – SOUTH WEST TRAINS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circular No IR/639/13

 

To All Branches, Regional Offices & Regional Councils

 

Our Ref: BR2/10/2

 

6th November 2013

 

 

Dear Colleague

 

COMBINATION OF CLEANING GRADES – SOUTH WEST TRAINS

 

Further to my Circular No IR/558/13 dated the 26th September 2013 with regards to the above matter and where I informed you that this matter will be discussed at the next full company council meeting. Further, I asked Branches along the South West Trains line of route if they could provide their opinion on how they would like the union to progress this matter. At the time of writing, no responses have been received.

 

I now write to inform you that a meeting has been held and I have received an update report from the Lead Officer which has beensubject to recent consideration by the General Grades Committee.

 

The Lead Officer reports that South West Trains remain of the opinion that this issue had been reviewed at Director Level and considered there was nothing further to explore at this point.Additionally, without further information as to how we can pursue this matter it would appear that South West Trains will remain unwilling to concede our claim.

 

The General Grades Committee notes the report on file from our Lead Officer. Further, the General Grades Committee has already given an instruction that the fixed rate element in this year’s pay submission must be ‘vigorously championed’ to ensure our lower paid members receive a significant rise in their rates of pay.

 

I trust this keeps you fully advised on the matter.

 

Best wishes.

Bob Crow

General Secretary

 

 

 

 

USE OF AGENCY STAFF, BOOKING OFFICE – SOUTH WEST TRAINS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circular No: IR/638/13

Our Ref: BR2/13/1

 

6 November 2013

 

 

To: Branches, Regional Councils & Regional Offices

 

 

Dear colleague

 

USE OF AGENCY STAFF, BOOKING OFFICE – SOUTH WEST TRAINS

 

I write further to my previous circular on the above matter (Ref: IR/526/13, 9th September 2013) in which I advised you of the continued use of agency staff in the Richmond Ticket Office.

 

I received a report from our Lead Officer for the company in which he advises that there remains 1 or 2 vacancies at Richmond, but that the company is actively advertising to fill the vacancies.

 

The matter was further considered by the General Grades Committee, which noted this report and instructed me to seek confirmation that the use of agency staff at Richmond has ceased.

 

I am awaiting this report and will keep you advised of any further developments in this matter when they arise.

 

 

Yours sincerely

Bob Crow

General Secretary