TSSA, the only union to be recognised by BTP for support staff, has uncovered a huge danger to rail travellers this festive season. Instead of tackling the causes of a £32m cash crisis, British Transport Police are celling out their support staff. Management wants workers to accept new and potentially illegal working contracts in the New Year.

The new contracts include a ban on the existing right to paid overtime which could cost some staff around £10,000 a year. Also, staff signing the new contacts will waive their rights under the working time directive, and be forced to work over the legal limit of a 48-hour week.

This could breach sex discrimination law as women may not be able to juggle their work and family commitments to the same extent that men can.

There are also fears that proposed deductions from pay could be unlawful. Workers who are injured or have accidents will be expected to repay sick pay to the police authority from any compensation they receive.

Despite cash sweeteners to accept the new contract, early findings of a TSSA survey of members indicates that they will consider industrial action simply to maintain existing terms and conditions of employment rather than take a drop in benefits.

Seyi Clement, TSSA Negotiations Officer, said: “Without the back up of support staff, the work of 2000 uniformed officers could grind to a halt.

Our members are essential to the smooth running of the rail network’s police force – from co-ordinating officers in the control room and composing e-fits of suspected criminals, to processing prosecutions and attending crime scenes.

“Our members are being asked to sign a draconian employment contract – effectively a pay cut to plug the £32 million hole left by BTP mismanagement. Instead of addressing bad employment practice, which has led to huge compensation awards and wasting money on expensive consultants, whose advice they don’t take, BTP is penalising staff who are vital to ensuring the safety of passengers throughout the railway network.”

“In the run up to Christmas, staff are being bribed into signing away their rights by being offered golden handcuffs of up to £2000.

“It’s amazing in this day and age that essential staff – who work unsociable hours to protect the travelling public – are forced into a situation where they might have to withdraw their labour, simply to protect their existing rights.

“These members don’t want a pay rise, they just want to be able to get on with the job. In a time of heightened security alerts, the last thing BTP should be doing is forcing though changes that undermine the goodwill of workers.”

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For further information, please contact:

Carmel McHenry, PR Officer (020) 7529 8055
Seyi Clement, Negotiating Officer (020) 7529 8038, or 0780 1185547 (mobile)

Notes to Editors

1. TSSA represents 32,000 members in administrative, clerical, managerial, professional and technical jobs in the railways, buses, the London Underground, the travel trade, canals, ports and ferries, and road haulage.

2. The government introduced the Working Time Regulations in 1998 to prevent employers from forcing staff to working excessively long hours by imposing a limit of 48 hours (averaged over three months). In certain and exceptional circumstances, such as maintenance of medical cover in hospital, workers are asked to sign an op-out clause, so that they can legally work longer hours.

3. TSSA’s consultation of members will be presented to BTP management at the end of December.