19 April 2005

Subway strike - ACAS invites SPT and TGWU for talks

Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) has accepted an invitation from ACAS for further talks with the Transport & General Workers Union (TGWU) on Wednesday 20 April aimed at ending the ongoing Subway dispute over pay and rosters.

Douglas Ferguson, SPT's Director of Operations, said, "When we met with the trade union at ACAS in February we agreed a timetable designed to solve this dispute. At every stage we have stuck to our side of the agreement and honoured our commitments and I am disappointed that the TGWU appears to be misrepresenting the position.

"We produced a framework agreement which identified productivity and flexibility savings which could be shared with staff to improve the pay offer available. We presented it to the union representatives and to staff within the agreed timetable.

"To date the only response from staff representatives has been to reject the proposals in their entirety and to escalate the strike action. No counter proposals have been received.

"We are finding it increasingly difficult to engage with Subway staff to resolve the dispute and our passengers are losing patience. We have put a fair offer on the table but we can't negotiate in a vacuum. The Subway staff need to do more than just say, 'No.' They also need to recognise the financial reality of the situation. We have written to all Subway staff telling them that if there is more strike action then we will have to re-assess if the current offer is still affordable."

The current offer would see an increase of 8.4% (2% more than awarded to other local authority workers) from 1 April 2005 with a further 1% when new working rosters are introduced. An additional 1% productivity and flexibility award would also be paid over and above any cost of living increase for 2006/07. Part of the offer would be paid for out of savings generated by efficiency benefits identified from new working practices.

ends

Notes to editors - Chronology

6 January 2004
Subway staff vote for strike action over pay and holidays

20 January 2005
Strike action over pay and holiday rosters closes the Subway for four hours.

21 January 2005
TGWU confirm overtime ban and a series of one-day stoppages from 31 January and every Monday following.

31 January 2005
Strike action closes the Subway.

4 February 2005
SPT and the TGWU hold eight-hours of talks at ACAS. A deal is drawn up, which the TGWU agrees to recommend to members at a mass meeting on Monday 7 February.

Under the terms of the deal SPT is to draw up an 'affordable framework agreement' by 18 March 2005. This will include projected savings from new working practices, which can help to fund an improved pay offer. The TGWU is to respond to this framework by 1 April 2005.

As a condition of accepting the deal the union demands that its mandate to take industrial action, without a further ballot of members, is extended until 30 April 2005.

7 February 2005
TGWU members strike and attend a mass meeting to discuss the ACAS offer. It is accepted subject to two conditions: the holiday rosters introduced in January 2004 are withdrawn and spare staff return to the off-duty rosters in place before the industrial action started.

8 February 2005
SPT writes to TGWU saying it is happy to accept a return to the pre-strike off-duty rosters but can't accept a return to the old holiday rosters as this would lead to staff shortages and disruption to passengers.

10 February
Permanent way staff suspend their industrial action in line with the ACAS agreement. SPT invites TGWU representatives to attend further talks on holiday rosters. SPT and the TGWU fail to reach an agreement.

11 February 2005
SPT makes a new offer to the TGWU to get the ACAS agreement back on track. Under the new proposals, SPT guarantees to re-allocate those employees who have been rostered holidays in the three-week block running from 15 May to 4 June 2005 and want to take their holidays at another time. If staff want to keep their allocation they can take their holidays as originally rostered.

The existing holiday rosters remain in place subject to any changes, which may be proposed on 18 March 2005. The offer is conditional upon TGWU members stopping all industrial action including the strike planned for Monday 14 February.

14 February 2005
One day strike suspended.

18 March 2005
SPT presents framework agreement to union officials who accept the contents but seek a bigger pay rise than that offered. They agree, however, to put the offer to their members.

30 March 2005
Framework agreement is presented to Subway staff who reject the entire package.

30 March 2005
Representatives from the Transport & General Workers Union reject an improved pay and conditions deal, worth nearly 8% over two years. Under the offer Subway staff would have received a 2.95% pay rise from 1 April 2004 and a further 4.95 % rise from 1 April 2005 in return for improvements in productivity and flexibility.

After rejecting the pay deal the TGWU informs SPT that its members will start an indefinite series of one day stoppages on Thursday 7 April 2005 and every Thursday after that until their expectations are met.

4 & 5 April 2005
Detailed negotiations take place.

6 April 2005
SPT improves its pay offer. The new offer gives an immediate increase of 8.4% with a further 1% when new working rosters are introduced. An additional 1% would also be paid over and above any cost of living increase for 2006/07.

The offer breaks down as follows:

• 2.95% backdated to 1 April 2004
• 2.95% for 2005/06
• an additional 2.5 flexibility and productivity payment
• an additional 1% when new working rosters come into force
• an additional 1% over and above any cost of living rise for 2006/07.

7 April 2005
Subway staff take strike action and reject the pay offer. Subway staff decide to escalate their industrial action. The new industrial action is to take the form of discontinuous strike action consisting of stoppages on the following days:

• Friday 15 and Saturday 16 April
• Friday 22, Saturday 23, Sunday 24 and Monday 25 April and every second week afterwards following the same Friday to Monday pattern (four day strike every fortnight).

15 & 16 April 2005
Subway closed by strike action.