Concrete piece thrown at Metropolitan Line Tube train

Submitted by Eamonn Lynch on 5 March, 2012 - 17:58

Taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17256579

A piece of concrete was thrown at a Metropolitan Line train from a bridge in north-west London, police said.

The fist-sized piece was thrown at the Tube train on 29 February from Highfield Road Bridge as the driver was pulling into Northwood station.

The concrete piece dented the front of the train, but no-one was injured, the British Transport Police (BTP) said.

BTP officers are also investigating the theft of railway cable on Jubilee Line from Queensbury early on Monday.

RMT Guidance On LUL Drugs & Alcohol Policy

Submitted by Peter on 5 March, 2012 - 15:44

Following abuses by management of the drug and alcohol procedure, your RMT reps on the Trains Funcional Council have produced the attached guidance document for your attention.

RMT GUIDANCE ON THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROCEDURE

Following recent abuses of the D & A procedure on the Piccadilly Line were drivers
have been routinely tested following a SPAD and in one instance where a driver was
tested for taking a train out of service, agreement has been reached at the Trains
Functional Council on February 10 th 2012. The Trains Functional Council agreed that

TUC Disability Conference 2012

Submitted by Janine on 5 March, 2012 - 15:00

RMT Council of Executives decision:

We appoint Sisters Maria Taylor (TfL no.1 branch) and Esme Bradbury (Stratford no.1 branch) as delegates to TUC Disability Conference 2012, and additionally appoint Brother Marr and Sister Booth to represent the Council of Executives.

We instruct the General Secretary to ensure that these delegates receive all relevant information and support to attend this conference.

RMT Demands Support for Domestic Violence Victims

Submitted by Janine on 5 March, 2012 - 15:00

RMT Council of Executives decision:

We note the domestic violence policy on file from ‘One’. While it is positive that this company has a policy on this issue, and it has some good content, a model policy would include several improvements. In particular, a model policy would include specific commitments that:

  • there will be no action under MFA/Attendance policies against staff absent due to domestic violence
  • special leave for escaping domestic violence should be paid

Update: RMT/TSSA Merger Talks

Submitted by Janine on 5 March, 2012 - 15:00

RMT Council of Executives decision:

That we note the correspondence from the TSSA dated 20th February 2012 on this matter where they state that they “see no further value in continuing merger talks at this time”.

We also note in the correspondence a proposal by the TSSA of a “creation of a federation that should also be opened to other similar sized transport unions”.

Olympic payments for cleaners meeting

Submitted by WatsonRMT on 5 March, 2012 - 14:03

There will be a meeting for all cleaners and supporters Tursday 8th of March from 18:30 hours in the 12 Pins Pub, Finsbury Park.

This meeting will discuss the abject failure of the cleaning companies to properly reward and accept the higher workloads for cleaners on LU during the Olympic period. All members welcome.

RMT Demands Employers Adopt Domestic Violence Policy

Submitted by Admin on 5 March, 2012 - 14:00

We note the domestic violence policy on file from ‘One’. While it is positive that this company has a policy on this issue, and it has some good content, a model policy would include several improvements. In particular, a model policy would include specific commitments that:

  • there will be no action under MFA/Attendance policies against staff absent due to domestic violence
  • special leave for escaping domestic violence should be paid
  • paid special leave should also be given for appointments etc, and that this is preferable to rearrangement of shifts

Train Driver Saves Child's Life

Submitted by Peter on 4 March, 2012 - 15:20

Last weekend on the Jubilee Line a drivers quick actions saved the life of a young child. Just as the driver was about to leave the platform at Finchley Road, he spotted a small hand coming up from the track on his CCTV and realised that someone had fallen from the platform.

Had it been a driverless train, then it would have departed as all the sytems indications were that it was safe to do so, and this story of heroism would be one of tragedy.

RMTV: Young Members Conference 2012

Submitted by Peter on 3 March, 2012 - 02:10

The RMT Young Members Conference took place last month. RMTv have produced a video of the event showing why it so important for young people within the union to get involved and how the conference both educates members on how to steer debate, and the way the conference can set the agenda and union policy.

RMT Protests Against Kamal Abbas Sentence

Submitted by Janine on 2 March, 2012 - 16:00

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow sent this letter to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Dear Sir/Madam

SENTENCING OF KAMAL ABBAS

The RMT is a UK transport union representing 80,000 members in the UK.

We are also Great Britain’s largest rail union and are represented on the Executive Committee of the International Transport Workers Federation.

The RMT is appalled to learn that Kamal Abbas, CTUWS general coordinator has been sentenced in absentia to six months imprisonment.