London Midland Company news

This is a very serious issue and one that will affect most of you even if you are not made redundant, as those of you who stay will probably be expected to pick up extra work but get no extra money for doing so. As you know this is the third re-organisation the Company has embarked on in less than ten months, and there are whispers that more are on the way.

Whilst the majority of those voting were in favour of action, the lower than expected turnout means this does not represent the majority of members affected. In order for TSSA to go to a statutory ballot, there needs to be a clearer indication that the majority of affected members may be prepared to take this course of action. As a result of this we are unable to pursue an industrial action ballot on the strength of this referendum result. However, I do understand that a significant number of you are prepared to take action and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking part in this referendum. Meanwhile please talk to your colleagues about the importance of their participation in the future.

I will be holding a meeting in Birmingham on 22nd March 2010 at the Burlington Hotel between 1630-1830, and I would ask that all members attend. The purpose of this meeting is to establish what members want to do to protect their jobs in the future, and understand the reasons behind poor participation levels in referendum ballots. This is also your opportunity to tell us what concerns you and what support you need. Once we understand this, we will then know where to focus our efforts.

I would ask that ALL members attend, including those of you who did vote in the referendum ballot, so we can organise ourselves to enable us to achieve an overwhelming YES vote for action. I will also be holding a meeting for members in and around Milton Keynes to discuss the same issue. I will advise you of the details of this meeting as soon as possible.