Dear Colleagues
SOUTH WEST TRAINS / GENERAL PAY REVIEW OCTOBER 2009-11-12
You will be aware from my previous circular that your negotiating team have been in talks over a protracted period with the management of South West Trains in an attempt to pursue the members agenda in relation to an increase in rates of pay for 2009.
I am pleased to report that after our last meeting with the company, my counter proposal to them for an increase in the second year of a proposed two year deal has met with a positive response from the company. I can tell you that I have received a letter from South West Trains outlining the fact that they agree to an increase in rates of pay and salaries for all grade groups over a 2 year period as follows.
*Year one (5th October 2009); an increase of 1.5%
*Year two (4th October 2010); an increase based on RPI for August 2010 plus 0.5% Or a 1.5% increase if greater.
The next pay review would be October 2011 and the current rates of London and South East, and associated Regional allowances to remain unchanged without increase.
A reduction in the working week /Guards grades, the company have agreed that for the guards’ grades there will be an option to taking a lower pay increase in year two of the agreement, and a one hour reduction in the basic working week. Should the guards chose to exercise this option, the percentage pay increase in year two (Oct 2010) will be reduced by amount that is sufficient to fully fund the extra cost to the business of the one hour working week reduction. The earliest that the one hour reduction could take effect is the 2011 December timetable change. The Union will put this option to the guards members in a referendum, and the result will be notified to South West Trains by the 17th of September 2010 if guards decide to exercise this option.
Of course if guards decide not to exercise the option of having a reduction in the working week of one hour, the year two increase that applies to all other grades will be applicable to them as well. There is also a commitment from the company that a meeting will take place between the Trade Union and themselves during June 2010, to discuss our aspirations in relation to improvements to South West Trains travel passes granted to retired staff. In addition to these proposals the company have written to me saying that they wish that all employees who are continuing to receive weekly payslips and payments by weekly bank credit transfer, should transfer to four weekly payslips and payments by four weekly credit transfer. I have replied to the company that I do not consider this is appropriate and should not be included in this pay deal, the company did not table that proposal when we met for the last set of pay talks but have only subsequently inserted it into the acceptance letter.
I do believe that if we are looking to transfer remaining weekly paid staff onto a four weekly basis, this should be part of any further restructuring that may or may not occur and should not be done now as part of a pay deal. I am awaiting a response from the company on this issue and providing they agree to remove it as a condition, I am prepared to prepare a report to the General Grades Committee asking them to conduct a referendum amongst our members on this offer. I do hope that that response will be received from the company swiftly and that we can move to the referendum without undue delay. I will of course keep all members fully appraised of any other developments that occur, but it is my hope that before too long you will be having your say on whether you think this is a reasonable offer or not.
Yours sincerely
Pete Gale
Regional Organiser Wessex Division
Mobile: 07946 386 762
E-Mail: p.gale@rmt.org.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment