Comrade,

Alongside every grade on the tube LU train drivers will shortly be receiving ballot papers for strike action and action short in defence of our jobs on the tube.

LU’s plans to slash staffing on stations will effect every grade in every function and will impact directly on drivers ability to do our job safely and professionally.

You know already that station staff are critical to our work and are part and parcel of our safety procedures on a daily basis. LU's proposal to de-staff the stations and introduce mobile supervisors with ipads will massively hamper our ability to deal with incidents. Serious incidents such as one-unders and SPADs will be a lottery as to whether you get the support you need. And there will be knock-on consequences of this sharp reduction of safety-critical support: daily late running, short meal breaks and chronic overcrowding. Assaults on drivers will increase.

But LU's plans to attack the job are not just limited to de-staffing stations. The company also wants to de-staff trains. RMT wrote to LU seeking assurances on the much publicised 'driverless trains' issue. London Underground refused point blank to give us the assurances we need. Management stated in black and white that they will design, plan and commission any train they see fit. RMT's position is clear: any new

stock must have a cab on the front. That's what we want and so do the public. We cannot allow LU to commission a train without a cab because then it will be too late to campaign and stop the beginning of the end of the driver grade. Mike Brown's 'promise' that any driver who wishes can remain a driver until the end of their career is not worth the breath that was wasted when the measly words came out of his mouth. If we allow LU to commission trains without cabs then that will be the end of our grade for existing drivers and the next generation.

Every driver and every grade across the job must resist LU's proposals. They represent a sea change to our culture at work, our culture of safety and our ability to provide a public service for London. Please use your vote and vote YES to strike action and YES to action short of strike action.

I have attached a leaflet for drivers explaining some of the issues.

In solidarity,

Brian Munro
RMT Trains Functional Council