London Underground Ltd

London underground's logo - the roundel

News, reports and information for RMT members who work for London Underground Ltd

RMT Calls For Decisive Action On Crossrail Two And Bakerloo Line Extension

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today issued a call for decisive political action on Crossrail Two (the project to link North East with South West London) and the extension of the Bakerloo Line beyond Elephant and Castle and into South East London.

The RMT call is timed to coincide with the business lobby setting out their demands for the projects with the union urging that the new routes are designed for the benefits of all Londoners not just the banking and commercial sector.

Remembering The 173 Who Died At Bethnal Green Tube Station

The Bethnal Green tube shelter disaster turned out to be the worst civilian disaster of World War 2, yet very few people know about it.

The Central line had not reached further East than Liverpool Street when the 2nd World war broke out, so work on the unfinished Bethnal Green underground station stopped. It was a natural place for East Londoners to shelter in safety from the bombs, particularly during the Blitz. There was no track and no trains could run through it, so it could accommodate up to 10,000 people sleeping on the platforms, in the tunnels and in the pit where the track would normally have been. Unlike the present 3 entrance/exits to the station there was only one entrance to the shelter during the war. You went through a narrow doorway that opened out straight onto the rough, wide steps, that were open to the elements so there could be no light to show the way down otherwise enemy planes would have seen it.

Cuts Cost Lives - Staff Save Lives

CUTS COST LIVES ... STAFF SAVE LIVES

RMT has warned that London Underground was planning to plunge the tube system into the same lethal cocktail of safety cuts and automation that led to nine people being killed on the Washington DC Red Line service in 2009.

  • In June 2009, a rush-hour crash on the Washington DC metro killed nine people, including the operator. It was caused by failure of the automated system, and the Washington Post called it “the price of parsimony” after numerous near-misses went unheeded against a background of cuts to maintenance
    schedules and inspections.

They Say - We Say

They say: New technology means that London Underground needs fewer staff.

We say: New technology can improve London Underground if it is used alongside staff, not instead of us. But LUL is developing technology specifically for the purpose of getting rid of jobs - this is the rationale behind driverless trains or 'wave and pay'. LUL should develop different technology that works effectively with staff to improve the service.

Current plans for technology will worsen the service, increase unemployment and are a waste of public money.

Thermal Comfort & Cold Stress Survey For London Underground Station Staff

RMT Health & Safety rep Julie Miller is investigating the affect cold weather has on us at work and whether thermal wear will improve our working conditions

Click 'Read More' to complete the survey

Thermal Comfort is defined in British Standard BS EN ISO 7730 as: ‘that condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment.’

So the term ‘Thermal Comfort’ describes a person’s psychological state of mind and is usually referred to in terms of whether someone is feeling too hot or too cold.

This survey will only look at the impact the cold weather has on staff. With your help, I will provide evidence that the cold and windy environment you have to work in has a detrimental affect on your physical and psychological well being.

Companies and grades: 

LabourtStart Act Now Campaign:Support Sacked Agency Workers

Thirty-three agency staff working on London Underground, some for as long as five years, were told just before Christmas that the contract with their agency, Trainpeople, had been ended, and that they would lose their jobs in January.

The workers had joined RMT and campaigned successfully for equal pay with permanent staff, but the contract was then terminated without warning and London Underground told them that applications for direct employment would not be considered, making a mockery of Agency Worker Regulations that are supposed to protect their rights.

Tube Staff Denied Customer Satisfaction Bonus After Olympic Year

We note the responses on file from our admin grade members, who are dissatisfied with LUL’s implementation of its Olympic reward policy. We further note that there is no copy on file of the letter to LUL instructed by our decision of 12 December 2012, and instruct the General Secretary to place in front of us this letter and any reply received.

Jubilee Line Drivers To Be Balloted For Industrial Action

Further to our previous decision on this issue, we note that discussions with management have taken place and that although there has been some movement, there is still no satisfactory outcome. We remain in dispute and instruct the General Secretary to ballot our members in line with our previous decision. We welcome the co-operation established with ASLEF on this issue and aim to ballot to the same timetable. Reports and developments are to be placed in front of us.

Trainpeople Workers Vote Yes For Strike Action

That we note the result of the ballot for strikes is as follows:-

Total Votes Cast - 17
Number Voting ‘Yes’ - 17
Number Voting ‘No’ - 0
Spoilt Papers - 0

We congratulate our members on their willingness to take action and for their tireless campaigning alongside their many supporters. We instruct the General Secretary to continue to support campaigning events organised by our Bakerloo branch, and to obtain and place in front of us a report on appropriate industrial action following the branch's next meeting on Monday 4 February.