London Underground: RMT wins massive victory and announces strike action for more workers

Transport union RMT has won a big victory on the tube - and announced strikes in two other Underground disputes, photo by Petr Kratochvil (Creative Commons), photo by Petr Kratochvil (Creative Commons)

Transport union RMT has won a big victory on the tube – and announced strikes in two other Underground disputes, photo by Petr Kratochvil (Creative Commons), photo by Petr Kratochvil (Creative Commons)   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Tube workers’ union RMT has secured a victory for London Underground maintenance staff on pensions, pay and night tube working.

All current and new workers from January 2017 will now have access to the Transport for London pension scheme.

Workers will receive a ‘protected RPI pensionable salary increase’ in every year from April 2015 until April 2019. Plus a consolidated £500 payment in the first year in recognition of the move to a 24-hour passenger service operation.

A further £500 non-consolidated payment will go to all operational staff following the launch of night tube on the Piccadilly Line on 16 December.

The breakthrough has come after years of determined and united campaigning and fighting for a fair deal which has included the use of industrial action.

Thousands of other tube workers have voted to go on strike over two separate disputes. Station workers in the RMT have voted 85% in favour of action over staffing and safety while drivers on the Piccadilly Line have also announced action over a “wholesale breakdown” in industrial relations. About 3,400 workers are involved and the strikes look set to take place in the run-up to Christmas.

General secretary Mick Cash said the “toxic impact of the job cuts programme” had made working on the Tube “horrific”.