Pay: Don't Divide the Grades!

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

Word from the latest pay talks is that management may be trying to give a better deal to drivers than to other grades, and to begin separate negotiations for drivers. Our unions should resist this, as it will divide us and damage us all in the long term.

One possibility is enhanced pay for working on public holidays. This would of course be welcome (although consolidated pay rises are better than enhancements), but there is absolutely no justification for it being offered to one grade but not the others. Having to work on a bank holiday is anti-social for drivers, but is equally anti-social for station staff, service control or anyone else.

Moreover, management are still insisting on a five-year offer, hoping that we will accept it because each year is marginally above RPI. They are playing on workers' fears of sub-inflation 'rises' in future years, but we should remember that circumstances change, and that RPI often does not accurate reflect the real rise in our costs of living. And if we sign up to a five-year deal, every demand for improved conditions that is not met this year (eg. shorter working hours, equal travel facilities, or better family-friendly policies) is shelved for half a decade. Five years is far too long - one year would be best, but we could consider two if what was on offer were good enough, which at present, it is not.

In many mainline rail companies, there are separate pay talks for different grades - with sometimes as many as five separate offers (for drivers, guards/conductors, retail, revenue and engineers) being separately negotiated at the same time. Inevitably, employers offer less to those grades seen as having less industrial muscle. Result: the already-better-paid may get a bit better-paid, the lower-paid get held back, and already-unacceptable inequalities get even wider.

Management may hope that this looks attractive to drivers, but this relies on them assuming that drivers don't give a toss about other grades. And in any case, the attraction is superficial and the benefits even to drivers are marginal and short-term. Any cash benefit this year will be outweighed by the attacks on all grades' pay and conditions that management will be able to push through once they have succeeded in dividing us from each other.

Unfortunately, LU management may find an ally in this project in the ASLEF leadership. The Society's members should insist that it acts in a more principled and less separatist way. Trade unions are supposed to unite workers to force more out of management, not collaborate with management to divide and disadvantage other wokrers. RMT, TSSA and Unite have worked together in the pay discussions so far - ASLEF should join this united front, rather than holding hands with management. That way, we could get a better deal for all grades - including drivers.

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