RMT CLEANERS have forced contractor John Laing Integrated Services to recognise the union on London Overground following an organising campaign that has seen the vast majority of the workforce join the union since the end of March.

A ballot carried out under Central Arbitration Committee rules after the firm refused to enter into a voluntary agreement returned a six-to-one vote to give RMT bargaining rights for the staff, who work from depots at Acton, Gospel Oak, New Cross Gate and Willesden.

Victoria line incident could have been fatal, says union

TUBE UNION RMT has demanded an end to the “reckless” policy of expecting drivers to override a door failsafe system after a potentially fatal incident in which a passenger jumped from a moving train and another was caught in its open doors.

The incident, at Oxford Circus station, happened after the ‘sensitive edge’ door-safety system – which immobilises a train if anything is caught in its doors – was over-ridden on a Victoria Line train during the evening peak on July 11.

The following resolution submitted by Stratford No 1 was carried at the Regional Council meeting on September 29th.

This Region is very disappointed that for two years in succession, it has taken several months for the union to update its database for London Underground membership following a change in the law (last year) and a company re-organisation (this year). In both cases, this has hampered this union's ability to take effective industrial action. We ask the Council of Executives to urgently examine how future updates can be carried out much more efficiently and promptly.