RMT Keeps Up Pressure to Maintain Tripcock Testing Frequencies

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from London Underground following the meeting at which RMT made our objections to the planned reduction in frequency of tripcock testing.

While welcoming the confirmation that there is no immediate plan to cut the frequency of these tests, we note that LU states that it intends to do so in the future. We strongly object to this, and do not believe that LU's promise of consultation at that time is sufficient to defend safety and our members' job responsibilities. We therefore confirm our determination to take whatever action is necessary to defend these essential safety checks.

We instruct the General Secretary to:

1. Ensure that this matter is placed back in front of us as soon as any such plans come forward.
2. Ensure that the union's campaigning against LU's known intention to attack jobs and services gives a profile to this and other maintenance issues alongside those of driverless trains and the threats to ticket offices and station staffing.
3. Include an article in RMT News describing the working day/night of the fleet maintenance staff who carry out this work, and explaining the consequences of their responsibilities being removed.
4. Ask our LU Fleet branch for any further ideas as to how to keep up the pressure on this issue.

We refer to the Council of Executives a suggestion that RMT News include in every issue an article like that described in 3 above, covering a different grade/company/sector/location in each issue, as a regular feature perhaps called 'All in a day's work'.

London Transport Regional Council and all branches with London Underground members to be advised.