LUL Stations & Revenue, Defending jobs

LU has announced plans to have Supervisors covering several stations from 7am to 11pm only. These stations would be opened and closed by security guards.

These plans relate to stations transferred from Silverlink, but RMT believes they are a precursor to wider de-staffing of London Underground stations.

The General Grades Committee has made the following decision:

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the resolution from our Finsbury Park branch. We agree with our branch that staffing levels on London Underground stations are deplorably low, and that there is a specific problem with gateline staffing at Wood Green station. We note that negotiations have failed to resolve this matter, and that the branch now wishes to ballot members on Arnos Grove group of stations for action short of strikes with a view to calling an overtime ban.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note with great concern the report from our Regional Organiser and representatives that London Underground has imposed a change to the rules and procedures for station access, removing responsibility and control from Station Supervisors for allowing access for people working on stations.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from our Bakerloo branch, and the report now received from our lead officer on talks with London Underground about the use of agency and security staff, at which our representatives pressed the company to replace the use of agency staff and security guards with permanent, directly-employed jobs on LU’s ex-Silverlink stations.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note that London Underground intends to count partially-trained Incident Customer Service Assistants towards minimum staffing numbers on stations, despite the fact that these ICSAs are not fully trained and qualified in the Customer Service Assistant (CSA) role, and are in fact not station staff at all, but staff in other (mainly administration) grades given a brief training course to carry out additional duties on stations.

Everything management do now is preparation to take us on, all of us, each grade, after the Olympics. Make no mistake, no stone will be left unturned as LUL aim to transform the job root and branch. As a previous leaked document revealed, they're making no bones about using the economic crisis to launch the attack.

This political report will explain the attacks, grade by grade, over five special issues, each fortnight.

Everything management do now is preparation to take us on, all of us, each grade, after the Olympics. Make no mistake, no stone will be left unturned as LUL aim to transform the job root and branch. As a previous leaked document revealed, they're making no bones about using the economic crisis to launch the attack.

This political report will explain the attacks, grade by grade, over five special issues, each fortnight.

The TfL board will discuss the 'Operational Vision' tomorrow November 2nd 2011, which predicts trains without drivers and the closure of all ticket offices by 2016.

LUL's Managing Director Mike Brown's presentation to the Board is attached.

Brown says "Given the technology available now, it is very unlikely that, after the procurement of the trains for the Sub Surface Lines, LU will ever again buy a fleet of passenger trains with conventional drivers’ cabs."

The TfL board will discuss the 'Operational Vision' this week, which predicts trains without drivers and the closure of all ticket offices by 2016.

A document has been released detailing the agenda of the meeting. It says "Given the technology available now, it is very unlikely that, after the procurement of the trains for the Sub Surface Lines, LU will ever again buy a fleet of passenger trains with conventional drivers’ cabs."

The document also makes note of stations saying that ticket office need will decrease and staff will need to become more 'flexible.'

LUL Declares War

Make no mistake, the Confidential Report exposed by RMT is the result of months, if not years, of management preparations to transform our job, root and branch, and bust the trade unions along with it.

The results will be massive job losses across all grades.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said “This document tells us everything we need to know about the operational strategy of London Underground - massive increase in fares alongside an unprecedented attack on jobs and safety. “Every single ticket office would be closed, stations left unstaffed and drivers would be thrown out of their cabs without a single thought for passenger safety.

TUBE UNION RMT today released a confidential “Operational Strategy” paper from London Underground which the union says is “a blueprint for jobs and safety carnage.”

Click on the attachments to see RMT' London Calling and LU's confidential 'Operational Strategy' paper.

RMT has revealed a shocking instruction from London Underground management - that visually-impaired passengers should not travel to Victoria station during the evening peak. The BBC has covered this story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15303638

The union said last year that savage cuts to station staffing would leave disabled people without the help they need in getting around the Tube system. This appalling report shows that we were right. London Underground should reverse the job cuts!

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We welcome the AGM resolution calling for a national ‘SOS: Staff Our Stations’ campaign, particularly considering the renewed threat to station staffing posed by the McNulty report. We will campaign on this issue in conjunction with our campaign on McNulty.

We further note that a meeting has been arranged between ourselves and the TSSA on 24 October to discuss this issue. We instruct the General Secretary to prepare for this meeting by:

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the successful and well attended meeting of our Station Grades Representatives in Doncaster on Wednesday 21st September 2011 where a multitude of issues was discussed.

Therefore the General Secretary is instructed to establish a General Grades Sub-committee called Special Staff our Stations sub-Committee and we appoint Brother March, Brother Thompson and Sister Booth to this sub-committee and that the matter of Staff Our Stations campaign be referred into this Sub-committee for examination and report.

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RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, that London Underground has given an assurance that the ‘community wardens’ are not used in Finsbury Park station, and that our local representatives confirm this.

We remain vigilant over this or similar developments, and ask branches and representatives to inform us if they become aware of any attempt to use non-LUL people to carry out or infringe upon LUL staff’s work.
London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

SOS - STAFF OUR STATIONS CAMPAIGN

DONCASTER TRADE UNION & LABOUR CLUB
19 South Mall
Frenchgate Centre
Doncaster
DN1 1LL

As part of our ongoing campaign for the re-staffing of ALL stations and against the proposals in the McNulty Report, I have been directed by the Annual General Meeting to arrange a meeting with the Station Staff Representatives for all Train Operating Companies and London Underground Ltd.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the thorough discussions that took place at the meeting of our representatives on 24 May, and the reports from our Regional Organiser and Stations & Revenue Council representatives. We also note LU management’s response to the reviews dated 25 May. We instruct the General Secretary to write urgently to LU, summarising the issues raised by our representatives at ACAS as outlined in the file, informing the company that we find its response totally inadequate and insisting on a more detailed response.

The RMT London Transport Region is collecting stories of working alone or with too few staff on London Underground stations. You can complete the survey by clicking go to form below.

You can leave your name and email address, which will be kept entirely confidential and will allow us to contact you for more information. You can alternatively leave these blank if you prefer.

As London Underground management move staff around like pawns to cover for their own deliberate under-staffing of stations, our new issue of 'RMT Platform' tells you exactly what your rights are, and how to stop management abusing them.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download. Pleast distribute widely.