Tram
engineers


and
fitters
working
for
Transport
for
London
are
set
to
strike
from
20.00
on
5
May
to
06.00
on
9
May,
after
talks
over
pay
differentials
had
broken
down.

The
two
sides
have
clashed
over
allegations
of
‘bad
faith’
made
by
the
engineers’
union
Unite,
which
TfL
denies.

TfL
is
advising
its
passengers
to
walk,
cycle
or
use
buses
or
the
Overground
on
strike
days,
when
no
tram
services
are
expected
before
07.00
or
after
18.00.
During
the
day
reduced
frequencies
are
predicted
between
Wimbledon
and
Reeves
Corner
on
the
edge
of
Croydon
town
centre,
and
between
East
Croydon
and
Beckenham
Junction
or
New
Addington.

Unite
has
warned
that
more
industrial
action
will
follow
unless
there
is
an
agreement
in
the
meantime.

The
argument
concerns
about
60
tram,
stores
and
infrastructure
engineers,
who
are
angry
that
their
staff
on
the
London
Underground
who
require
the
same
qualifications
and
perform
the
same
duties,
are
paid
up
to
£10,000
more
a
year.

Strikes
in
March
were
postponed
to
allow
for
talks
with
TfL.
Negotiations
collapsed,
however,
with
Unite
accusing
TfL
of
refusing
‘to
be
transparent
about
the
process
it
was
using
to
identify
pay
disparities
and
broke
its
word
on
how
they
would
be
resolved’.

Unite
general
secretary
Sharon
Graham
said:
‘It
is
outrageous
that
TfL
somehow
thinks
it
is
acceptable
to
be
systemically
underpaying
highly
skilled
workers
who
are
essential
to
keep
the
tram
system
functioning.

‘TfL
was
negotiating
in
bad
faith
by
breaking
its
promises
and
withholding
information.
Unite’s
patience
has
run
out
with
TfL’s
disgraceful
double-dealing
and
lack
of
transparency.’

According
to
Unite,
TfL
has
identified
five
jobs
where
disparities
exist,
but
has
not
adjusted
the
pay
of
the
employees
involved.

Unite
regional
officer
Bruce
Swann
said:
‘TfL
is
entirely
responsible
for
the
disruption
that
will
be
caused
to
passengers.
If
TfL
had
stuck
to
its
word
and
engaged
openly
and
honestly,
the
Tramlink
engineers
would
not
be
forced
to
take
strike
action.
TfL
has
left
these
issues
to
fester
for
years
and
the
strikes
will
continue
until
it
resolves
them
to
our
members’
satisfaction.’

Another
cause
of
the
dispute
is
that
the
engineers
are
on
office
worker
contracts
despite
their
technical
responsibilities,
which
has
also
affected
their
pay,
and
there
has
been
no
movement
from
TfL.

Transport
for
London
responded:
‘We
would
never
enter
conversations
in
bad
faith,
and
have
been
open
and
honest
throughout
the
process.
We
have
agreed
to
work
with
union
colleagues
to
identify
equivalent
roles
in
London
Underground,
assess
any
disparity
in
overall
benefits
packages,
and
where
agreed
take
action
where
appropriate.
This
will
take
time
and
we
have
asked
that
this
strike
action
is
suspended
to
allow
this
to
happen.

‘We
remain
committed
to
continued
dialogue
to
reach
a
conclusion
and
ask
the
union
to
suspend
this
action,
which
will
only
cause
unnecessary
inconvenience
for
our
customers.’

TfL
added
that
where
disparities
are
identified
and
it
is
agreed
that
an
increase
in
pay
is
appropriate,
TfL
will
commit
to
resolving
that
disparity
over
the
shortest
time
possible,
which
will
be
no
more
than
three
years.
It
also
said
that
the
introduction
of
new
contracts
which
TfL
had
agreed
with
Unite
in
December
needs
’complex
IT
changes’,
and
that
it
remains
committed
to
making
these
changes
as
quickly
as
it
can.