AmeyClas Reorganisation 21st June 2010, Proposed changes shown

All the images can be enlarged by clicking upon them, these are the current organisational charts as AmeyColas is today. They show the extent of the changes once the reorganisation has taken place. A colour code system is used and is as follows:

GREEN = Outside the scope of this reorganisation.
BLUE = Mapped, unaffected by the reorganisation.
YELLOW = At risk, posts to be reduced.
RED = Posts do not exist with the new organisation.

AmeyColas Western 1, Project Specific Management.

AmeyColas Western 2, Teamleaders and trackworkers.

AmeyColas Western 3 High Output Swindon.

AmeyColas London North Western/Eastern 1, Organisation.

Two posts are gone at the Bletchley office in the new organisation, and three others are at risk.

AmeyColas London North Western/Eastern 2, Organisation.

AmeyColas London North Western/Eastern 3, Track Staff.

Under the reorganisation AmeyColas want 4 Team leaders and 12 Trackmen under Bletchley depot.

RMT slams 'lethal and unworkable' Tory plans

TUBE UNION RMT tonight condemned "lethal and unworkable" plans leaked to the BBC from within the GLA Tory Group to axe all train drivers and operators on London Underground and to move the entire tube system to a driverless operation.

The leaked report, confirmed as being under discussion by the GLA Tories and which London Tory Mayor Boris Johnson is aware of, recommends sacking all of the 3,525 train drivers and operators estimating that it could result in savings of £141 million per annum.

The report is also clear that the plan is part of a secret drive by the Tory Party to break the strength of the Tube's biggest and most powerful trade union, RMT.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"Under normal circumstances I would be tempted to dismiss this leaked report as some kind of a joke, cooked up by anti-union fantasists, but in the current climate of cuts and attacks on public services we are taking it very seriously.

"People only have to look at the footage of the carnage down the tube after the 7/7 bombings, and the brave and critical role played by train operators and platform staff in dealing with that emergency situation, to see why these crew are so vital to the safety of Londoners.

"The people behind this Tory Party report not only want to get rid of the drivers but they want no staff on the tube trains at all. That just proves that they have no understanding of the tube system and a complete and utter disregard for passenger safety.

"It may well be that some junior politician is simply flying a kite to make a name for themselves but RMT will not sit back and allow this lethal and unworkable idea to gain any traction whatsoever.

"We are already involved in a battle to defend Tube Lines, station and platform jobs and our fight for safe staffing levels across London Underground, including the use of industrial action, will continue."

Important dates for your diary: Durham Miners Gala & Tolpuddle Festival

Dear Colleague,

Important dates for your diary:

Durham Miners Gala Saturday 10^th July 2010

Tolpuddle Festival Friday 16^th July to Sunday 18^th July 2010

Key dates in the calendar of the trade union movement have been announced and as ever, I would like to encourage RMT members to attend to ensure the maximum Union presence where we can pay tribute to working class solidarity and our trade union forefathers at the Tolpuddle Festival and the Durham Miners Gala.

Please bring your banners flags and whistles! 

Durham Miners Gala Saturday 10^th July 2010

The past struggles of mineworkers and the NUM continue to inspire working people everywhere and tens of thousands of trade unionists will gather in Durham to pay tribute to their example. The RMT has a special bond with the Gala through the solidarity shown by the NUR and NUS during the landmark 1984 dispute. I will provide more details when they are available.  

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival Friday 16^th July to Sunday 18^th July 2010, Tolpuddle, Dorset

The Tolpuddle Festival commemorates an historic episode in the struggle for trade union rights in Britain and around the world. In 1834 six farm labourers from Tolpuddle were arrested on a charge of taking part in an illegal oath ceremony. The real offence was that they had dared to form a trade union to defend their livelihoods. For this they were sentenced to seven year's transportation to the penal colonies of Australia. The sentences provoked an immense outcry, leading to the first great trade union protest. The campaign won free pardons and the Martyrs returned to England. For further information on the Tolpuddle Festival, see www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk  

Yours sincerely,

Bob Crow

General Secretary

RMT warns of Government plans to axe thousands of transport jobs

TRANSPORT UNION RMT warned today that the new Government is planning to take an axe to transport budgets as the department is lined up as a soft touch for cuts, putting thousands of jobs on rail and the buses at risk.

The warning comes as the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) predicted 33% fare increases over this parliament, fewer buses and a shortage of train capacity – all of which will push more people back into their cars and make a mockery of Government claims to support a green transport policy. CBT have also warned that "buses will become extinct outside the centres of cities and towns" under this Government.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond – who will be visiting the Crossrail project this afternoon – has also made it clear that he will pursue a review of rail costs that will lock in and protect the inefficiency and fragmentation of privatisation, and which will ring fence the profits and fare increases to the private train operators with even longer franchises, while safety-critical jobs are sacrificed.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said today:

"The Government have sent out the clearest possible signal that transport is going to be right in the front line as the cuts assault on our services is unleashed.

"During the election there were predictions that the transport budget could be slashed by 27% - that now looks like an underestimate. Thousands of jobs on the trains, buses, rail infrastructure and operations and the Tube are at risk while the waste, profits and subsidies of privatisation and the private train operators are ring fenced with even longer, gold-plated franchises.

"Today Philip Hammond visits Crossrail, an infrastructure project which, like High Speed, electrification and the Tube upgrades, is on the critical list as the ConDems look to dump manifesto commitments to vital transport modernisation projects.

"RMT is committed to mobilising to fight the attacks on jobs and services in the sectors we organise and will co-ordinate resistance with other trade unions facing similar threats."

Eighth Annual RMT Garden Party for Cuba - with Alabama 3

Dear colleagues, 

Eighth Annual RMT Garden Party for Cuba - with special appearance from Alabama 3 

Just to remind you that tickets are now available for the eighth annual RMT Garden Party for Cuba, which will be held at Maritime House in Clapham, London, on the evening of Tuesday June 22 this year.

The event, which we organise in conjunction with the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, has become a firm favourite on the movement's calendar – an opportunity to have a great time while raising money for a good cause. 

As usual, there will be live music – with a special guest appearance by our good friends the Alabama 3 –  good food and a free bar, as well as special guests, including the Cuban Ambassador, H.E Rene Mujica Cantelar ; John McDonnell MP; Tony Benn; Unite assistant general secretary Len McLusky, and Geoff Shears.

Tickets, at £15, can be ordered from RMT, Unity House, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD (cheques payable to RMT). Credit card orders can be taken by telephone on 020 7387 4771 

I hope to see you there

Best wishes, 

Bob Crow

RMT General Secretary

RMT warns of “dangerous” staff cuts to stations serving Arsenal football ground.

TUBE UNION RMT today exposed the safety dangers of cutting station staff serving one of London's largest regular crowd venues – Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

RMT have revealed that London Underground plan to almost halve staffing numbers at stations that come under enormous pressure when matches and events are being held at the Emirates. The stations affected are Arsenal, Finsbury Park, Caledonian Road and Holloway Road - all on the Piccadilly line.

Congestion Control Emergency Plans (CCEP's) have been altered showing dangerous cuts to staffing – impacting on day to day safety as well as for events at the Emirates. For example, the largest and busiest station Finsbury Park, which serves Victoria and Piccadilly Lines, as well as national rail to Stevenage, Peterborough and Cambridge, will be cut from the current staffing level of 20 to just 12. This will seriously increase the risk of major incidents and dangerously reduce the ability to evacuate quickly and safely.

RMT general Secretary Bob Crow said:

"Once again, Boris Johnson has broken another pledge - that he would protect front line staff and services from any budget cuts. Now we see that he plans to dramatically increase the risk to staff and football fans alike by ruthlessly slashing essential staff serving one of London's busiest sporting venues. This is just a foretaste of what's to come as we build up towards the 2012 Olympics.

"The cuts to staffing at stations around the Arsenal ground are matched by cuts elsewhere on the Tube where 800 jobs are under threat and we are committed to taking action to protect both our members and the travelling public."

RMT reissues demand that Scotrail scrap plans to axe Guards.

RAIL UNION RMT today reissued its demand that Scotrail call an immediate halt to plans to extend Driver Only Operation on its services as it emerged that another train derailed on the Oban-Glasgow line at Falls of Cruachan 13 years ago due to a landslip. Incredibly, the same Guard, Angus MacColl, was on board both trains and was praised back in 1997 for his professional and calm response as he implemented emergency procedures.

The previous derailment occurred on the 5^th April 1997  just yards from Sunday evening's incident. 40 passengers were on board when the train hit a landslip of silts and boulders, derailing the train which, on this occasion, remained upright.

Due to a fault with the radio that night it was the Guard, Mr MacColl, who left the train and walked back to the nearest phone to contact the emergency services, ensuring the safe evacuation of passengers and securing the area.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

In the light of Sunday evening's incident, and the previous derailment on the same section of track just thirteen years ago, it would be a scandal if First Scotrail and the Scottish Government pressed on with their cash-driven plans to axe the Guards on the new Airdrie-Bathgate route.

In incident after incident on our railways, going back many years, the safety-critical role of the Guard in an emergency situation like Sunday night's has been both recognised and praised by the investigating authorities.

The lesson is simple and is staring Scotrail in the face. In an emergency you need both the driver and the Guard, working as a team, to secure the incident and to implement safe, evacuation procedures.

Scotrail cannot be allowed to get away with praising Angus MacColl on one hand and then axing his colleagues from their services on the other. The political leaders at the Scottish Government cannot stand idly by while they try to do just that. We are demanding an immediate halt to the Scotrail plans for Driver Only Operation.

RMT calls for immediate halt to Driver Only Operation of trains

RAIL UNION RMT today called for an immediate halt to the rolling out of Driver Only Operation (DOO) on Scotrail train services as the investigations into last night's derailment in Argyll get under way.

RMT will be writing to the Scottish Government and Scotrail demanding a halt to their ongoing plans to introduce Driver Only Operation on the new Airdrie-Bathgate route – pointing out that last night's incident has once again confirmed the safety-critical role that the guard plays in an emergency situation and that it was only the experience and training of the guard, working with the driver, that avoided a major disaster.

The first car derailed and was left suspended with only the coupling of the second car preventing it from falling down the hillside in what would have been a major disaster. While the driver put out a fire in the carriage, the guard activated emergency procedures and the evacuation of the passengers and it was the quick thinking and team working of the two crew that led the 60 people on board to safety.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said today:

"The guard and the driver on last night's 6.20pm service from Glasgow to Oban are true heroes who showed once again that you need trained and experienced crew to cope with an emergency situation. It is a miracle that a major disaster was avoided and the incident shows once again that corners cannot be cut when it comes to rail safety.

"If this train had been driver only operation it would have put the driver in an impossible and potentially lethal situation – attempting to extinguish a fire while safely evacuating a train just cannot be done and Scotrail and the Scottish Government now need to recognise that and call a halt to their plans to roll out driver only operation."

Government slammed for ring-fencing profits for private train operators

RAIL UNION RMT today accused the government of moving towards a "slash and burn" attack on transport budgets as a barrage of announcements this week confirmed that the profits and subsidies of the private train operating companies are being ring-fenced while key modernisation, maintenance and upgrade works are being ditched in an all-out dash for cuts:

· Moves announced this morning to haul back the rail carriage procurement programme – following on from the shelving of the planned replacement of the Intercity train fleet earlier this year – flying in the face of government commitments to expand rail capacity.

· A demand by the regulator – the ORR – that Network Rail speed up and extend its cuts to both rail maintenance and the renewals programme putting hundreds more safety-critical jobs at risk.

· Expected increases of 6% in passenger fares – linked to the July rate of RPI – blowing apart Lib Dem election pledges to cut fares.

· A proposal by Network Rail boss Iain Coucher to delay electrification while also saying publicly that Crossrail works have "not gone so far that they could not be stopped".

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said today:

"Just a few weeks into this ConDem administration we can now see their transport policy taking shape – ring-fencing the profits, subsidies and fare increases of the private train operators while passengers are forced to travel in slow-moving, over-crowded cattle trucks on dangerously under-maintained tracks.

"All the warm words of this new government on a high-speed, green future for expanded rail travel are evaporating before our very eyes as transport is seen as a soft-target for early cuts with the private companies given a green light to continue milking profits and subsidies which could be used to invest for the future.

"Meanwhile the rail regulator (the ORR) is setting out a bonus regime for Network Rail chief Iain Coucher and his top brass which is effectively a "Butchers Charter" – the more safety-critical staff you sack, the bigger your bonus.

"As the Potters Bar inquest continues there is no question that this systematic undermining of rail budgets and rail safety makes another major disaster an inevitability and RMT will take whatever action is required to protect jobs, safe working conditions and the safety of the travelling public."