Finsbury Park branch

Victoria line drivers at Seven Sisters depot are to be balloted for strike action in response to the increasingly hard-line approach of management towards staff. The recent sacking of Carl Campbell for an alleged wrong-side door opening incident has pushed the members at Seven Sisters beyond endurance, coming as it did after months of increasingly draconian management practices. At a meeting of the branch, it was agreed that the ballot would focus opposition to the company over four related issues:

1. The grossly unfair sacking of Brother Carl Campbell;

Click the attachment below to view the April edition of Monthly News.

From RMT official circular IR/108/09, dated 2nd April 2009

I write to congratulate you on a fantastic show of unity and solidarity that has been shown by the results of the ballot for industrial action. The results are shown below;

ARNOS GROVE ________________________SHORT OF STRIKE____STRIKE ACTION NUMBER VOTING YES______84__________________81 NUMBER VOTING NO_______0___________________3 SPOILT PAPERS__________ 0___________________0 TOTAL VOTES____________84__________________84

ACTON TOWN

This resolution, proposed by Finsbury Park branch and seconded by Camden 3 branch, was passed unanimously by the Regional Council meeting on 26 March.

We note with increasing concerns the intensification of the attacks on our Cleaning Grade members and Representatives by their Bosses which have led to vindictive sacking spearheaded by ISS.

ISS have now refused to pay the outstanding London Living Wages (LLW) for Cleaning Grade staff working via sub contractors TubeLines and there is no indication that they will pay the LLW for 2009.

From RMT official circular IR/97/09, dated 19th March 2009

I received a report regarding a breakdown in industrial relations at the Seven Sisters Depot, the four main points being;

• The dismissal of train driver Carl Campbell (who should be reinstated immediately)
• A stop to the misuse of attendance and disciplinary procedures
• The lack of proper installation of Correct Side Door Enable equipment as provided on all other lines
• An end to the victimisation of RMT activist Glenroy Watson

From RMT official circular IR/97/09, dated 19th March 2009

I write to confirm the final arrangements for the above ballot. The ballot papers were sent out on 19th March 2009 and the new closing date is Friday 27th March 2009.

Please note that that due to legal reasons Arnos Grove and Acton Town will be balloted separately however, it remains a single dispute

I urge RMT Drivers on the Piccadilly Line to return their ballot papers in the envelopes provided upon receiving them, to show management that the Union and our members will not be trampled on.

Yours Sincerely

The callous sacking of Mary Boakye by ISS is yet another stark example of the brutal methods being deployed by dodgy cleaning companies to silence RMT activists. Her cruel dismissal bears chilling resemblance to other cleaning grade representatives who refused to be muted and have lost their jobs as a result. Cleaning companies are, without doubt, very exploitative, but that ISS in particular is just too brutal in dealing with cleaners is well-documented.

Carl Campbell is the latest Victoria Line driver to pay the ultimate price for the lack of investment by Victoria Line management in Correct Side Door Enable equipment (CSDE), enjoyed by drivers on all other London Underground lines. In fact, Carl paid the price despite the fact that the panel at his Company Disciplinary Interview accepted the video evidence that the pilot light could have only “flickered” off and on and that the doors could not have been open in any reasonable interpretation of the word.

Click on the link below to view the March 2009 edition of Monthly News:

From RMT head office circular No. IR/70/09, dated 5th March 2009

BREACH OF DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES – PICCADILLY LINE

In view of the ongoing concerns we have with regard to abuses of the disciplinary procedures on the Piccadilly Line, the ballot of Train Operators will go ahead as we are still in dispute.

For legal reasons two separate ballots will be held, one for Arnos Grove Ash House and the other for Acton Town Bollo House.

The ballot papers will be sent out to members on 10th March 2009 and the closing date will be 25th March 2009.