Circular No. NP/382/05/AG
15th September 2005

TO: ALL BRANCHES, REGIONAL COUNCILS & REGIONAL ORGANISERS

RMT PAY BULLETIN- SEPTEMBER 2005

August 2005 retail prices index rate: 2.8%
This is down from 2.9% for July. Figures for September are available on 18th October 2005.

July 2005 average earnings: 4.3%
This is up from the (revised) 3.8% for June. Figures for August are available on 19th October 2005.

The average earnings index measures changes in gross earnings per person, based on survey returns from around 8,500 employers. It includes basic pay, overtime, shift payments, bonuses and profit-related pay.

Full-time Average Weekly Earnings by Occupation
Labour Research has recently published an analysis of average full-time weekly earnings based upon the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2004 (up-rated).

Occupation/Sector Weekly Wage
All workers �528.60
All male �583.00
All female �439.90
Managers �791.70
Professionals �703.40
Associate Professionals* �563.80
Admin & Secretarial �363.50
Skilled/craft �445.10
Services** �303.20
Sales �305.10
Operatives �399.70
Other manual jobs*** �321.80

* Associate professionals includes technicians, nurses, police, firefighters, media/PR workers, train drivers, legal and finance workers and sales reps
** Services means personal service occupations such as care workers, travel assistants, hairdressers, caretakers
*** Other manual jobs includes farm workers, labourers, dockers, postal workers, porters, waiters and cleaners

Recent non-RMT settlements:

Company /Sector Award Effective From
Sainsbury�s 4% March 05
VT Shipbuilding 2-year deal
Yr 1 3.75% delivering a skilled rate of �18,499
Yr 2 RPI + 0.75%
April 05

April 06
Panasonic 3.75% April 05
Capita Call Centre 3.5% October 04
Tesco 3.1% and lowest paid staff received 5% delivering a minimum rate of �5.84 per hour
Selfridges 3% April 05
Xerox UK 3% October 04

Recent RMT settlements:

Company Award Effective From
London Transport
Cubic Transportation 3% April 05
Road Transport
Exel Logistics (Boots Contract) Chester 3%
Reduction in working week to 48 hours
Progress towards salaried status
Introduction of 13 additional rest days
Commitment to further reduce number of days worked in the next 12 months
Incorporation of Saturdays and Associated Leave arrangements into new contracts with an increased availability of Saturdays off
6 hours min turn length, 12 hours max
Rotation of Drivers between runs to comply with the Working Time Regulations
Introduction of time + � for Rest Day Working
Payment of time + � for Rest Days banked since 1st April 2005; up to 5 days at 150% April 05
Infrastructure
Global Crossing 3.7% on basic rates and London & Associated Allowances April 05
Train Operators
Arriva Trains Wales (all grades excluding Guards) 3.5%
Harmonisation talks for Station staff continue
Rostering discussions for Fleet staff continue April 05
First Great Western 4% or �650, whichever is greater May 05
GNER 3 year deal
Yr 1 4.2%
Yr 2 RPI + 1% or 3.4%
Yr 3 RPI + 1% or 3.5%

London Allowances and Chef�s NVQ-related allowance to be increased in line with the pay award

Two additional 1st Class boxes will be granted to all employees (excluding Drivers) from 2005

JWG on all non-pay terms and conditions to include harmonisation of sick pay arrangements. To be completed by June 2007

Pay Agreement made simultaneously to Enabling Agreement on Cost-Efficiencies and Employee Benefit Sharing
March 05
March 06
April 07
Merseyrail (Drivers) 4-year deal worth 17.5%:
6%
Salary of �31,000
Salary of �32,000
Salary of �33,000
January 05
January 06
January 07
January 08
Virgin Trains 3.6% or �600, whichever is greater
Dynamic allowances also increased by 3.6%
Preparation to introduce a childcare voucher scheme from 6th April 2006
Active staff and their dependents who do not already qualify for 1st Class Leisure travel will now be eligible for this benefit. Company to advise the start date as soon as possible
April 05

Excess in the Transport Industry
Information recently published by Labour Research has revealed that Wincanton Director Paul Bateman, received an astonishing 45% pay increase in the year ending March 2005, taking his earnings to �677,000.

Elsewhere, James Wilde received an incredible �675,000 �golden handshake� after lasting just two months as Chief Executive of parcel delivery and cleaning services conglomerate, Rentokill Initial.

This information will certainly be included in the RMT pay submissions for the relevant companies.

Increase in the National Minimum Wage
Although the members resolved at this year�s RMT AGM that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) should be set at �6 per hour for all workers regardless of age, colleagues should be aware that the NMW is set to increase from �4.85 per hour to �5.05 per hour from October 2005 and the Low Pay Commission has further recommended that the rate should increase to �5.35 in October 2006.

The Youth rate for those aged between 18 and 21 will increase to �4.25 in October 2005 and �4.45 in October 2006. The �3 per hour rate for those aged 16 or 17 will not be increased in October 2005.

Yours sincerely,


Bob Crow
General Secretary