Three reasons why a yes vote for the Alex McGuigan Case is essential

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1 - We believe Alex is innocent

Alex has diabetes which we believe has given a false positive in a random breath test he took when booking on for duty. The RMT has seen evidence that this is possible. If the police breath test you and you fail, they take you back to the police station and you are tested again using much more robust equipment. At LUL once you fail a breath test that is it - sacked after 29 years unblemished service.

Alex could have had a urine sample privately tested to demonstrate his innocence, however this sample was destroyed before he had a chance.

2 - Peter Hendy has already apologised for giving out false information and it keeps coming

London Transport commissioner Peter Hendy stated on an interview with LBC that Alex McGuigan had been drinking on duty. Not long after newspaper front pages were reporting that the RMT was striking for somebody who was drinking whilst at work. However this was totally untrue. Peter Hendy wrote to the RMT to apologise for this error - but by that point the damage was largely done.

Now London Underground bosses are saying that Alex ‘admitted drinking before booking on for duty’ but what they omit is that he drank alcohol the night before - and an amount well within London Underground guidelines. Imagine this: You go for dinner with your partner and have a glass of wine and are home by 11pm. the next day you book on for a 10am duty, are drug tested and a false reading is returned. London Underground sack you and claim on national radio that you were drinking on duty. They then claim that you admitted ‘drinking before you booked on.’ How would you feel? Bosses are doing it now and if we don’t fight back they will do it again.

3 - The RMT have told LUL that they would call off the industrial action if bosses agreed to abide by an employment tribunal decision - but they refused

This issue is bigger than the Alex McGuigan dispute - it is about whether when London Underground sacks you they will listen if an independent Employment Tribunal says that the decision was wrong and the person should be reinstated.

If London Underground are so confident that the sacking of Alex Mcguigan was fair - and that their drugs and alcohol testing process is robust - why would they refuse to abide by an employment tribunal decision? They claim that our industrial action is wrong, but refuse to be led by an independent employment tribunal. this has happened in the past. Employment tribunals have said lUl should reinstate somebody and they have refused to do it. Only RMT industrial action - or the threat of it - ensures drivers jobs are safe from unfair dismissal.

3 Reasons to Vote Yes by RMT London Calling