Campaign Update
AUGUST
Suitable members for the proposed three-person Rail Pension Commission were being approached, with one chair and representatives nominated by the employers and the unions. The favourite for position of Chair is Jeannie Drake, a former TUC President who had been a side member of the Turner Enquiry.
JULY
Following talks at the Department of Transport it was agreed to suspend industrial action ballots in favour of a compromise put forward. This involved the setting up of an independent Rail Pension Commission which would examine the possibility of rationalising the rail pension funds, one of the main campaign objectives. ASLEF had always recognised that no single company could produce this alone - and that it required a joint response from the employers.
Steps were taken to set up the Commission with the TUC playing an important central role.
MAY 16
ASLEF President Alan Donnelly wrote to all members to explain the Executive Committee's position on pensions.
He outlined activities that have taken place during the campaign, both public and private. Publicly the general secretaries of the unions travelled the
The union wrote to all Train and Freight Operating Companies in the same vein as the TSSA and RMT explaining the ASLEF position and indicating the potential for industrial action should they fail to meet the criteria.
The ASLEF executive committee resolved to examine each individual response on its merits. Alan will say, 'At no time did we see this campaign as a 'charter for a national dispute'.' It was intended to achieve the four objectives that had been outlined.
MAY 9
The unions organised a major lobby of Parliament to progress the joint rail unions' campaign on pensions. The lobby gave ASLEF members, and those of the other rail unions, the opportunity to meet their MP and seek their support for our campaign, including signing Early Day Motion 1681.
The number of rail union members who turned out for the Lobby of Parliament on Tuesday meant that a planned rally had to be divided into two Committee Rooms at the Palace of Westminster. The speakers at the rally - Francis O'Grady (TUC), Keith Norman (ASLEF), Bob Crow (RMT), Gerry Doherty (TSSA) and John Wall (Amicus) - scurried from room to room to get the pensions message over.
Keith Normancondemned the government for failing to offer any help in solving the burning issue of pensions in the rail industry. 'The rail unions jointly went to the Department for Transport to stress the urgency of the situation, to talk about the probability of industrial action and to urge the government to broker peace talks between the national unions and representatives of the franchised companies. They failed to do this.
'They told us to go and talk to the companies individually - all 100 plus! And at the same time the minister says he hopes we can all come to an agreement.
'How can we come to an agreement if we have no one to talk to? The job of government is to arrange a forum for national talks - and it has refused to move a muscle.
'This is a decision it will regret.'
The unions were contemptuous of the government excuse that it could do nothing because since privatisation the individual companies were independent and out of its control. Gerry Doherty pointed out that the government now hands out £4 billion to train companies every year. 'How can anyone control a purse of £4 billion and not have any influence?' he demanded.
MARCH 31
The rail unions warned that government and many rail companies had "closed the door" on talks to resolve the pensions crisis in the industry.
They warned that failure to resolve the dispute before pension-fund rules trigger massive contribution hikes from July 1 could result in co-ordinated ballots for industrial action across the industry.
However, rail industry bosses continue to refuse to meet with unions to negotiate over the issue and government has done little or nothing to intervene.
ASLEF general secretary Keith Norman said: "The resolve of ordinary rail union members has been evident at the public meetings we have addressed over the last couple of weeks. The government has a critical role to play in this issue which is so important to rail workers' income and their futures. We elected this government - now it is time for them to treat our members with the respect they deserve."
MARCH 10
The general secretaries of the Rail united rail unions - RMT, ASLEF, TSSA and CSEU - renewed their call to the government and rail employers to negotiate an end to the industry's looming pensions crisis after the 'standing-room only' success of their first joint membership meeting in Cardiff.
"The excellent turnout in Cardiff last night underlines just how seriously our members take the security of their pensions, and the sense of unity and determination was clear for all to see," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said.
ASLEF General Secretary Keith Norman warned, "Failure to deal with the mess that exists today will become a rod for the government's own back because it is they who will have to pick up the pieces when it all starts falling apart at the seams."
The four general secretaries announced their intention to address further meetings in York (March 21), Glasgow (March 28), Edinburgh (March 29), Birmingham (April 3), Bristol (April 5) Perth (at the STUC, April 11), Manchester (April 19) and London (April 20).
MARCH 6
The joint campaign was launched at a press briefing at the TUC, attended by the general secretaries of the unions and the General Secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber. The union's announced the aims of the campaign as
- Cap employee contributions at 10.56%;
- Keep benefits at least at their current level;
- Streamline the scheme to have three active sections (Train Operating Section, Engineering & Infrastructure Section and an Omnibus Section); and
- Keep the scheme open to all employees.
The event was covered in most of the
FEBRUARY
February saw campaign planning, and the production of leaflets, stickers and posters to involve members. Notice of the forthcoming campaign was reported in the February ALSEF Journal.
JANUARY
ASLEF decided to mount a joint campaign with the RMT, TSSA and the rail section of Amicus (CSEU) to counter proposals to make the pension provision for rail workers more expensive and less attractive. At a meeting of general secretaries on 17 January they resolved to contact the employers to see if a joint approach to government was possible. This was rejected by the train operating companies. Thus it was clarified that the dispute was with the employers rather than a political matter.
