Transport for London (TFL) employees are to strike for 24 hours on 9 May in a dispute over pay and pensions.
Union members from the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, Transport Salaried Staff’s Association and Unite are protesting against the organisation’s proposals to pay staff based on their performance, as well as cuts to employee pension rights.
The unions have cited a number of changes that staff are protesting against, including:
- Non-consolidated, lump-sum, one-off pay rises that would not count towards pensionable pay.
- A knock-on impact that would lead to reduced final salary pensions.
- An immediate pay freeze stretching over the next five years, for at least 50% of staff.
- The annual pay round placed at the discretion of managers and no longer fully negotiated with the recognised staff unions.
- Pay rises determined by punitive and discriminatory individual performance processes.
Tricia Riley, HR director at TFL, said: “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 their pay relative to the external jobs market.
“The only way in which these disputes get resolved is by talking and not by taking strike action.
“We have been engaging with the trade unions on these issues since November and we are happy to meet the unions at any time to continue these discussions in a number of areas. The strike is having no impact on transport services.”
Mick Cash, acting general secretary at RMT, added: “The attack on TFL pay and pensions has to be seen in the wider context of government austerity cuts to TFL’s funding.
“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.
“Although RMT and the other unions have continued to meet with TFL demanding a decent pay offer and full pensionable pay for all employees, it has point blank refused to back away from its aggressive plans to attack wages and pensions across the board.
“The current proposal is nothing less than a concerted attack on the future of the TFL pension fund, which affects all its members regardless of grade.
“TFL should be in no doubt about our members’ determination to defend pay and pensions, and it should listen to our case, withdraw the current plans and talk seriously about pay and pensions that protect and enhance the living standards of TFL staff members.”