11.07.14
RMT members add voice to public sector pay strike
RMT union members at Transport for London (TfL) joined more than one million public sector workers in yesterday’s 24-hour national strike over pay and pensions.
The action was in protest at TfL’s plans to impose ‘Pay for Performance’ proposals. The union stated that over the last six months TfL has ‘point-blank’ refused to engage in serious negotiations over their plans for what amount to a performance-related pay freeze and cuts to pension rights.
However, TfL rejected claims that the organisation had not been participating in talks.
As part of yesterday’s strike, the RMT members taking part in the action down-tooled from 05.59 hours Thursday 10 July 2014 until 05.58 hours Friday 11 July 2014.
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.”
Tricia Riley, TfL’s HR director, added that the organisation had been engaging with the trade unions on the pay issues since November, and that there was no impact on transport services.
“As with arrangements at any modern organisation, our proposed changes will ensure that our non-operational staff, who provide valuable management and support functions, are fairly paid based on their performance and relative to the external jobs market.”
Other unions, which took part in the nationwide strike action co-ordinated by the Trades Union Congress, included the Fire Brigades Union, GMB, the National Union of Teachers, the Public and Commercial Services Union, Unison and Unite.
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