Aftermath of the King's Cross fire

TUBE UNION RMT is to leaflet rush-hour passengers at Euston station this Wednesday morning over cuts to safety and safety-critical jobs following revelations that fire detection systems at the station failed last month creating the potential for a major disaster that was only avoided by the actions of a vigilant member of station staff.

RMT also confirmed today that it has written to London Underground requesting that all fire detection equipment at sub-surface stations be inspected within the next 72 hours under Section 12 Fire Regulations which were introduced after Kings Cross.

Research by several organisations across London has found that LGBT people fear for their safety on public transport including the tube and that there is a higher incident of assault - both verbal and physical - on public transport than there is in other public areas.

The British Transport Police state ‘For passengers, feeling safe is as important as being safe. The visible presence of rail staff, PCSOs and police officers can reduce the fear of crime dramatically.’

With these figures showing how LGBT people feel about travel on the underground, it should be considered that many LGBT people will feel more at risk of assault on the underground as staff cuts will inevitably mean the reduction of staff visibility.

The following resolution, submitted by Finsbury Park branch, was carried unanimously by the July meeting of the Regional Council ...

This region calls on the national union to hold a conference of all grades within the LTRC to discuss significant concerns our members have regarding the reduction and quality of our operational refresher training. We believe this is an attack on the value of our jobs and on safety.

The RMT London Transport Region is collecting stories of working alone or with too few staff on London Underground stations. You can complete the survey by clicking go to form below.

You can leave your name and email address, which will be kept entirely confidential and will allow us to contact you for more information. You can alternatively leave these blank if you prefer.

AS LONDON mayor Boris Johnson confirmed this morning that Transport for London have completed their takeover of the failed Tube Lines operation, RMT has demanded urgent intervention to resolve a dispute over jobs and working conditions as the union produced new figures showing that 535 out of 2915 Tube Lines staff posts are under threat.

Following two days of strike action last week, RMT has confirmed a further 48 hours of action on Tube Lines between 19.00 hours on Wednesday 14th July and 18.59 hours on Friday 16th July.

As London Underground management move staff around like pawns to cover for their own deliberate under-staffing of stations, our new issue of 'RMT Platform' tells you exactly what your rights are, and how to stop management abusing them.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download. Pleast distribute widely.

In the latest episode of RMTv, from the 21st of June, General Secretary Bob Crow discusses the Tube Lines and DLR dispute and cuts in the public sector.

There are more videos at the RMTv site or you can subscribe to RMTv's Youtube channel here

TUBE UNION RMT today issued a renewed call for London Mayor Boris Johnson to “get out of the bunker and start talking” as the clock ticks down towards two 48 hour strikes called by the union in defence of jobs, pay and working conditions on Tube Lines starting next Wednesday.

RMT have warned that the threat to tube maintenance jobs will have serious safety consequences with the union already compiling evidence that repairs and renewals schedules are being hacked to pieces in the dash to slash budgets.

The Conservative group on the London Assembly have sent a memo to Mayor Boris Johnson detailing how they believe an underground system without drivers would provide a world class mass transit system.

The conservative group believe the underground would be better with an increased number of faster trains, more customers but less staff (sound familiar?). They claim that the acquisition of Tube Lines by London Underground is the perfect time to ditch drivers.

As this photo shows, London Underground's preparations for its job cuts are already hitting the service to customers. And this is at the station adjacent to the company's headquarters!

RMT blasts Mayor’s “transport strategy” as a smokescreen for job cuts, ticket office closures and attacks on safety standards

TUBE UNION RMT today blasted London Tory Mayor Boris Johnson for throwing up a smokescreen under the guise of a “Transport Strategy”, designed to deflect attention away from his multi-billion transport cuts package that threatens thousands of jobs, ticket office closures across the Capital and a systematic undermining of current safety standards.

A freedom of information request shows that it takes on average nearly 11 minutes to resolve a query for customers calling the Oyster Helpline.

Is this what TfL and LU see as staying true to their vision of world class customer service when discussing job cuts? Is 11 minutes on a telephone better service than a face to face chat with staff in a ticket office?

In 1998, the recently-elected New Labour government announced a ‘public-private partnership’ for London Underground. Operations would remain in the public sector, but the infrastructure would transfer to private consortia on 30-year leases.

RAIL UNION RMT is backing a lobby by the Justice 4 Jarvis Workers campaign of Network Rail chief Iain Coucher this Wednesday (28th April) as the union continues the fight to save 1200 workers from being dumped on the dole following the collapse of the company last month.

Justice 4 Jarvis workers from across the UK will be taking their case to the doorstep of Network Rail, and it’s Chief Executive Iain Coucher, at 1pm on Wednesday 28th April at King's Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG or meet at Unity House at 12:00

Submitted by Roy Carey

April 22nd 2010
OSP DUTY MANAGER UPDATE

I would like to take this opportunity to make it clear, at the MATS Functional Council OSP meeting on 22/04/2010, the RMT and all other unions involved REFUSED to discuss the job cuts and in fact did not discuss any issue.

(cont'd see attachment)

I have written to over 50 disabled people's organisations in and around London about London Underground's proposed job cuts. Read the letter below ...

I am writing on behalf of the RMT trade union to alert you to London Underground’s plan to cut 800 station staff posts and to severely reduce its ticket office opening hours. I believe that this move will seriously reduce the service that London Underground offers its passengers, and will have a particularly adverse effect on disabled passengers.