Massive rise in unstaffed tube stations

RMT demands urgent recruitment drive as internal London Underground document shows massive rise in unstaffed stations

TUBE UNION RMT this morning revealed shock new figures from an internal LUL document that expose a crisis in staffing and safety on the tube with dozens of stations now left unstaffed on a weekly basis.

The figures give more proof RMT's case that tube bosses are attempting to run the Underground on the cheap in unsafe conditions .

Since January stations across the network have been left completely unstaffed on nearly 300 separate occasions . The vast majority of these incidents include unstaffing for many hours at a time . Even worse is the revelation that many of these incidents cover entire shifts during Night Tube operation. RMT staff reps suspect the real figures are actually higher as not all closures will have been reported .

RMT reps have also been advised by managers across the job that overtime budgets are being slashed which will only make a dire situation even worse

Despite assurances from LUL and the Mayors office about safety and staffing the union says that the facts exposed today make it crystal clear that LUL simply don’t have nearly enough staff to safely run the tube network .

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“As expected and predicted by RMT the slash and burn employment model being followed by LUL over the last ten years has left stations being woefully understaffed with passengers being expected to fend for themselves at stations regularly left unstaffed for hours at a time .

"Even more worrying is the fact that stations serving night tube are being left completely unstaffed throughout the operation as a matter of routine.

"RMT is demanding answers and solutions to these shocking revelations and we now call on the Mayor and LUL to start a mass recruitment drive to ensure that this dangerous operating model LUL have bulldozed through is consigned to the bin “

 

> RMT National News

Saturday, 31st January
RMT welcomed London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services being brought under Great British Railways on Sunday but insisted outsourced workers must not be left behind.
Friday, 30th January
Transport union RMT, will demand safe staffing and an end to lone working on the railways at an Action Against Assaults event at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 11 February.
Tuesday, 27th January
Outsourced cleaners will strike alongside a protest at TfL’s Board meeting on 4 February, increasing pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan over outsourcing and democratic control of the capital's transport system.
Friday, 23rd January
RMT members working on the Windrush line will take strike action in February after their employer refused to make a decent pay offer.
Wednesday, 21st January
RMT will stage a protest outside Transport for London’s Board meeting at City Hall on Wednesday 4 February as the union steps up pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan to reclaim democratic control of TfL and bring cleaners back in-house.