RMT up front December issue 25

Attached is the latest edition of RMT Up front. This edition focuses on the Ballot for action short of strike action on the Bakerloo and Central lines and gives a report on the RMT's dispute over working on Boxing Day. Main stories follow:

Bakerloo and Central Line drivers: Vote YES for yours and your passengers safety

Bakerloo and Central Line drivers will be receiving ballot papers for action short of strike action over London
Underground’s detrainment
procedures.
Despite warnings that LU’s procedures for detraining before trains go into sidings or depots is unsafe, LU have refused to implement a procedure on the Bakerloo Line for physically checking carriages to ensure they are clear of passengers. LU is also insisting on bringing in the same procedures on the Central Line.
The serious safety concerns of LU’s detrainment procedures came to the fore in early October when a 12 year old boy was trapped on a train at Queens Park sidings. The boy managed to “shimmy up” and out of the train squeezing past the inner car barrier and onto the track. He could have been killed as he was in close proximity to the 430 volt live positive rail and moving trains. It was only the alert actions of the driver that spotted this dangerous occurrence. He told the driver “he was going to walk home to Kensal Green on the “charcoals”, ie the ballast. The driver got him back on the train.
The RMT objected to removing detrainment staff and said at the time that it would be unsafe, not just for passengers but also for staff as the risk of staff assaults would increase. The union’s objections have proven to be correct.
The RMT is working closely with our sister union, ASLEF, on this matter and both unions are balloting our members concerned with a view to holding joint action. A number of meetings have been held with management but LU refuse to give ground.
Notwithstanding the union’s safety concerns for passengers trapped on trains, the RMT has also shown that hundreds of passengers a month are being over carried into the sidings on the Bakerloo Line. It is only a matter of time before a driver is seriously assaulted. This could be you!
If the union receives a mandate for action short of strike action then there would be an instruction from the General Grades Committee that all drivers ensure that trains are physically checked prior to going into sidings or depots. This to be done either by suitable staff or by drivers themselves.
Because of the ballot mandate this would be a lawful action for our drivers to take.
Ballot papers must be returned by
Thursday 3rd January.
Vote YES!

RMT ballot forces LU to withdraw sell off of annual leave

The RMT’s ballot for strike action of our driver members over the proposal that drivers can sell their annual leave when working on Boxing Day was enough to make London Underground formally withdraw this attempt to change our terms and conditions. Gerry Duffy and Howard Collins have written l tary Bob Crow and Regional Organiser Brian Whitehead giving assurances that selling annual leave is off the table.
These assurances were given in advance of the strike mandate showing that RMT train drivers were resolved to defend and maintain the principle that our leave is not for sale. The RMT General Grades Committee (GGC) has considered the written assurances from London Underground and the ballot result and has decided to call no action. Our demands and objectives this time round have been met.
The union is still concerned however that LU have discussed with ASLEF the possibility of rest day and overtime working. With ASLEF’s history of selling out framework agreements during the summer of 2012 the GGC has agreed to “remain vigilant to any attempts by LUL to bring in… rest day working.” The General Secretary is to provide a report in the new year.
The RMT’s campaign to defend our annual leave arrangements has raised the issue of who actually put the idea on the table. The union’s correspondence with London Underground indicates that it was ASLEF themselves who raised this as a proposal. Either way the RMT believes that we should be going forward and improving our drivers terms and conditions and not selling out our hard fought for working conditions.
This is a victory for RMT and all our drivers prepared to take action to defend our annual leave arrangements and our terms and conditions.