The General Grades Committee received a report today and is of the view that, while the proposals from management could form the basis of future negotiations, there are elements of the document which are unacceptable, such as regional pay rates (retention allowances) and overlapping skills. The General Grades Committee has therefore instructed me to enter into further negotiations to seek improvements that meet with the aspirations of our members and which are in line with your union's policy.

Additionally, the proposals will be discussed at a meeting of your Area Council Reps, which will hopefully take place over the next week.

As I have stated in previous letters, it is clear that the harmonisation process is being used by Network Rail as a means to deliver the 22% cut in the maintenance budget over the next five years which is being dictated to the company by the rail regulator. In short, Network Rail's goal now is to deliver budget cuts and management are using harmonisation to do that. It has been made quite clear to your negotiators that, if management cannot get the changes they want through harmonisation, then they will seek to achieve piecemeal change attacking terms and conditions. So when they say that staff can stay as they are, do not believe them because they are saying the opposite privately.

Yours sincerely

Bob Crow
General Secretary

http://rmt.live.poptech.coop/files/110986/FileName/NRPositionStatementonHarmonisationAugust2008.pdf