Underground Pay and 4-day week. What's happening?

The final offer?

Almost a month on from London Undergrounds “final offer” on pay, none of the four unions have accepted it. The offer of a 3.4% “no strings” pay rise is based on the February RPI inflation rate and while this is similar to offers accepted across other parts of the industry, Underground management have a record of finding money to improve so called final offers!

ASLEF are discussing the offer with our reps and branches before deciding on our next steps while RMT are expected to announce a week of strike action in the next few days.

We will also be meeting with management again to discuss outstanding elements of our claim, including staff travel and improvements to facilities and will report back to members after that meeting. Management have said that they are prepared to make a payment of £400 to staff working on Boxing Day who are not covered by an existing agreement. The current Boxing Day agreement for train drivers came after three years of strikes and in return for changes to agreements, so we will expect drivers to also see benefits in any new proposal.

Delivering the 4-day week.

Your Trains Council reps are continuing to meet management as we push on with delivering the 4-day week for train drivers. This will be based on an average rostered week of 34 hours instead of the current average 35-hour week, meaning a huge improvement in quality time off.

Management have confirmed that those who wish to do so will have the option to remain on a 5-day week roster.

Bizarrely, preventing drivers from volunteering to move to a 4-day week with no loss of pay is a central demand of the current RMT dispute. It must be the first time in history that a trade union has called for a strike to prevent its members from having a shorter working week and more days off!

Key points of the 4-day week for Train Drivers.

• Your annual leave entitlement does not change. It remains at 7.4 weeks. (A week’s leave will only use up 4 days of your entitlement.) Instead of “banking up” an hour per week on top of your contractual week of 35 hours, rosters will be based on 34 hours per week, with the additional 5.2 days per year used for non-driving days, including training and personal development.

  
  

• That means that the average working week reduces from 38.5 hours now to 34 hours per week, a reduction of 4.5 hours. The longest possible working week reduces from 42.5 hours now to 38 hours per week, 4.5 hours fewer at work each week.

  
  

• Your salary, pension and all other benefits will remain unchanged. Duty changeovers, Syndicates and fixed link rosters will all remain in place. 3 rest days per week will give syndicates more options to group runs of rest days meaning more quality time off.

  
  

• For the first time, pool drivers will have a rest day that is rostered in advance giving them more ability to plan ahead then they do now as well as an extra day off every week.

Senior reps will be in attendance at your local ASLEF branch meeting so come along to hear the latest updates and make your opinion heard.

Best regards,

Finn Brennan

ASLEF District Organiser.