RMT takes pre-emptive action over Jarvis staff transfers

The
RMT rail union is to ballot nearly 3,000 workers from maintenance contractor
Jarvis, claiming the company failed to guarantee protection of employment
rights to employees who transferred to Network Rail or other contractors.

The
union had sought an assurance that there would be no compulsory redundancies as
a result of Jarvis contracts being taken back in-house by Network Rail on 1
April, or of renewals work being re-tendered.

"We
have a number of serious concerns over these transfers, but our number-one aim
is to ensure that no jobs are lost in the process," said RMT general
secretary Bob Crow.

"Talks
with Jarvis have been hampered by the company’s repeated failure to give us the
assurance that there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of these
transfers, now or in the future, and that Transfer of Undertakings (Protection
of Employment) protection will apply to all employees.

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"We
are urging all our Jarvis members to return a resounding ‘yes’ to the call for
industrial action to defend their jobs and hard-fought-for conditions," he
said.

By Quentin Reade