£2,500 Olympics bonus for DLR staff

A "truly groundbreaking" pay deal was announced today which union leaders said would earn transport staff up to £2,500 for working over the Olympic games.

Docklands Light Railway has agreed a 25% increase in the standard overtime rate for around 550 employees over almost nine weeks during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, guaranteeing a minimum of five hours overtime per week and a bonus payment of £100 per week.

Serco Docklands, which operates the driver-less rail system, said an employee who has responsibility for passenger and train safety aboard their vehicle, working a minimum five hours overtime per week for the Games period, will earn £1,132 above their usual contracted pay.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said the figure will be double that, saying the deal "raised the bar" for Olympic payments in the industry.

The deal is the most lucrative struck so far, following agreements of Olympic payments of £500 for Network Rail staff and £600 for London Overground.

The RMT has rejected an offer of a £100 bonus for Tube workers as "derisory".

The DLR will serve four of the principal Olympic and Paralympic venues - the Olympic Park, ExCeL London, the Royal Artillery Barracks and the equestrian events at Greenwich.

It is expected to transport 57% more passengers and will run additional trains, an extended service and staff 25 instead of four stations.

David Stretch, managing director of Serco Docklands, said: "I'm pleased we have been able to discuss and agree a fair deal with the RMT. It means we can finalise working arrangements for all our employees who will help deliver our enhanced services this summer and welcome an extra 2.28 million passengers on to the DLR network".

The agreement affects around 550 employees covered by the collective bargaining agreement of the RMT.

Serco said the package would ensure that all employees agreed to help meet 45,000 additional hours required to run the enhanced service, recognising that they will also have to work in different locations, longer hours, on amended rosters and with restricted annual leave, regardless of whether they work overtime or not.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "This is a truly groundbreaking deal raising the bar in the industry and putting £2,500 in our members' pockets as a reward for the extra workload and pressure they will carry throughout the Olympic and Paralympics period.

"The deal also reflects the hard work of our negotiating team and shows yet again that the organising strategy of RMT delivers the best pay and conditions time and time again."

PA