London Underground Ltd

From Steve Hedley, RMT Regional Organiser

Dear colleagues,

I wrote to Gerry Duffy, Director of Employee Relations yesterday because of serious safety concerns that have led many drivers to refuse to work on safety grounds. Amongst the drivers concerns are the absence of Emergency Response Unit staff who cover the whole network and signalling technicians who cover the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines.

1. Tube Lines has failed in its attempt to get the High Court to grant an injunction banning the Tube Lines Strike.

2. Click 'read more' to read RMT's response to London Underground circular erroneously claiming that the Emergency Response Unit will be available as normal.

Tube Lines are responsible for the Emergency Response Unit that covers the entire network and is fundamental to the safe running of London Underground. To ensure your own safety and that of others during the period of industrial action you are advised to approach your management prior to carrying out your duties for assurances that a safe system of work is in place.

This is London Underground's response to RMT's presentation to the Company Council outlining our objections and our alternatives to the company's job-cutting plan (view it here). Despite the company refusing to publish our presentation on its Intranet, we are happy to publish its response on our website, as we trust readers to draw their own conclusions ...

RMT highlighted their concerns with the implications they believed would follow the proposed reduction in Station Staff

Tube union RMT today exposed the safety dangers of cutting station staff serving one of London's largest regular crowd venues – Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

RMT have revealed that London Underground plan to almost halve staffing numbers at stations that come under enormous pressure when matches and events are being held at the Emirates. The stations affected are Arsenal, Finsbury Park, Caledonian Road and Holloway Road - all on the Piccadilly line.

RMT has obtained the following statistics showing how what proportion of London Underground's passengers are male and female:

• Commuters (59.7%): 59.14 % male / 40.86% female
• Leisure (35.8%): 54.36% male / 45.64% female
• Tourists (04.5%): 56.44% male / 43.56% female
• Total (100%): 57.31% male / 42.69% female

These figures show that significantly more men travel on London Underground than women, which reflects a continuing gender division and inequality in our society.

Ballot papers over the issues of massive job cuts and the resultant detrimental effects they will have on your working conditions and safety will be sent out shortly.

Your union cannot accept that you should pay with your job and safety for management’s financial incompetence. If savings need to be made they can come from the 200 TFL managers who earn more than £100,000 a year. We will not sit idly by whilst your safety is compromised.

Click on the attachment to download the May edition of Monthly News.

In this edition:

9 DAYS TO LOSE YOUR JOB - how the company can now sack anyone who's had as little as 9 days sick in a year

VOTE YES - YOUR JOB DEPENDS ON IT - the 800 stations jobs cuts, the proposed attacks on safety rules, the unfair dismissals of drivers: how it all fits into the new Company Plan

DERAILED - BUT WHY? The latest derailment on the Picc raises many questions but few answers

Tube Union RMT today called on London Mayor Boris Johnson to make an urgent statement on the impact of the ConDem government cuts on the tube upgrade programme as rumours gathered ground that the works on the Northern Line will not be completed in time for the 2012 Olympics.

The following two resolutions were submitted by Stratford no.1 discussed at the July meeting of the Regional Council. The vote was tied and therefore they fell. The President recommended that they be resubmitted next year and that branches discuss them in the meantime.

1. That elections for single seats on these councils be conducted by branch block vote using the Alternative Vote system (rather than first-past-the-post, as at present).