Every Job Matters - Defending London Underground Jobs

 

Blog: Whitechapel - The Tip Of The Iceberg

On Saturday 19th October, around 50 people attended a protest outside Whitechapel Underground station in protest at the plans to permanently close the ticket office when the station undergoes refurbishment as part of the Crossrail project. The protest was organised by the East Ham Branch of the RMT – I am their Branch Secretary. Members from across the country, from all grades – shipping to management – came and offered their support, handing out leaflets to the public, gathering petition signatures and making lots of noise.

RMT In Dispute With Tube Bosses Over 'Red Line Issue' Of Mobile Station Supervision

We note the correspondence from London Underground Ltd and the report from our Regional Organiser. It is clear that the company fully intends to impose mobile station supervision at seven stations, that this will lead to a further extension of this practice, and that it will not commit to round-the-clock station supervision.

RMT Prepare For Possible Industrial Action Over Flash & Dash Detrainments

We note the report from our Regional Organiser and the correspondence from London Underground Ltd. Although the experience of the last two years has proved beyond any doubt that detrainment is only safe and effective when carried out by staff on the platform, the company appears to be preparing to make a fresh attempt to withdraw these staff. It seems again to be attempting to use some technical devices as a pretext to return to the ‘flash and dash’ procedure, which endangers passengers and is held in contempt by our members.

Tube Bosses Avoid Response To RMT Demand On Detrainment Staff

We note the reply from London Underground Ltd regarding inner inter-car barriers. We note that this letter does not address the request in our previous letter for an assurance that LUL has abandoned all plans to remove detrainment staff from the Central Line (or any other line) and all plans to reduce the number of staff on its stations. We do not accept that this can wait until after the Formal Investigation Report, and instruct the General Secretary to write to LUL again specifically on this matter, insisting on a reply, which is to be placed in front of us.

'Hundreds of Tube ticket offices to shut' as machines replace staff

This explains why LUL have been so reluctant to answer the questions your elected reps have been asking!

Hundreds of Tube ticket offices will be scrapped next year as Mayor Boris Johnson seeks to cut thousands of London Underground jobs, it was claimed today.

Mobile units of supervisors will replace staff at stations outside zone one in an attempt to move to full automation of ticket sales to cut costs.

Rail unions revealed the proposals as they published a poll showing overwhelming opposition to ticket office closures, with 71 per cent of travellers against full automation.

SFC News to download - Roving Supervisors and Ticket Office Cuts

RMT Demands
24/7 Supervisor on Every Station
No Ticket Office Closures

LU Explains how Roving Supervisors will respond to incidents during service breakdowns: See picture.

The issue of mobile Supervisors on the Wembley Central and Hammersmith (at Kew & Gunnersbury) groups moved to ACAS for the most recent talks.
LU has refused to implement the temporary arrangements agreed after a strike in 2008 and has tried to impose a model of mobile supervision.

Petitions Call For Ticket Office Closures To Be Scrapped

The following petitions from various groups are all calling for London Underground ticket offices to be protected.

Please consider adding your signature:

  • Boris: keep your promise - sign the 38 Degrees petition to keep ticket offices open in the London underground.
  • This Labour Party campaign calls for lower fares and the protection of ticker offices - www.greattorytrainrobbery.co.uk/

RMT London Calling Newsletter September 2013

In this months newsletter:

  • We Will Unite & Fight to Stop Job Cuts
  • Why Can’t LU Keep Ticket Offices Open?
  • RMT Taxi Branch Resists Attempts to Loosen Rules on “Plying for Hire”
  • RMT will Demand Payment for all Staff Working on Boxing Day
  • Tube Lines Pension Dispute
  • Bombardier Pay And Conditions Talks Continue
  • RMT Push For Increased Representation at TfL
  • RMT will Demand Payment for all Staff Working on Boxing Day
  • Back Dated Pay Rises For Cleaners & Security Workers Still Short Of London Living Wage
  • STOP PRESS: CLEANERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY to refuse to use fingerprint scanners to book on for Duty

This article and the attached newsletter was updated on the 22nd of September to remove an outdated story about a member facing disciplinary

LU Still Refuses to Discuss Ticket Office Closures

Following the publication, in the Evening Standard, of a plan to close every ticket office on the tube we wrote to the COO demanding an urgent meeting of the stations & revenue functional council.
Having refused to discuss ticket office closure plans at previous meetings we were a little surprised when an ad-hoc meeting was arranged for 5th Sept.
We needn’t have been. Management came to the meeting and told us, again, that they have no plans at this stage and therefore cannot discuss the matter!

Mobile Station Supervision A 'Red Line Issue' For RMT

We note that London Underground Ltd has advertised (internally) posts for mobile Station Supervisors covering several stations. We further note that we referred this issue to ACAS several months ago, and that LUL has finally agreed to hold discussions at ACAS, and to not fill these positions until these talks are concluded.

This is a 'red line' issue for this union; we oppose mobile station supervision and insist that every London Underground station must have a