Defending London Underground Jobs & Conditions

We note the research information on file, and the views expressed by our representatives at our meeting on Monday 8 October. We instruct the General Secretary to publicise this information to members, in particular RMT’s recent submission to the GLA and our raising of this issue in Parliament through a question and Early Day Motion. We ask members to lobby their MPs to support this EDM.

We instruct the General Secretary to arrange the production of a 4-page broadsheet for our London Underground members, outlining the threats to jobs and working conditions and this union’s determination to resist them, and encouraging members to become active in our campaign and non-members to join. A draft of this broadsheet is to be placed in front of us before publication. We instruct the General Secretary to arrange a schedule of workplace visits by officers and representatives with this broadsheet.

We further note an article in the Evening Standard which can be found on file, which states that London Underground has scrapped plans to test driverless trains, but which also confirms LUL’s intention to consider this in future; we also note Boris Johnson’s speech at Conservative Party Conference stating that he will introduce driverless trains. We instruct the General Secretary to write to London Underground Ltd demanding a clear and unequivocal statement of its plans for driverless trains.

We further note that there have been several recent incidents on London Underground which highlight the need for staffing levels to be retained and/or increased, and the press coverage this has attracted. We note that this union has demanded an urgent meeting with LUL management to discuss these, in particular the dangerous consequences of removing detrainment staff from Bakerloo line stations. We instruct the General Secretary to pursue this vigorously, and to obtain an urgent report on whether industrial action is appropriate over this issue.

Any developments to be placed in front of us.

London Transport Regional Council, branches and representatives to be advised.