Health and safety

RMT GGC decision:

Following the ballot result for action short of strikes in pursuit of this dispute, and following consultation with our reps and branch, we instruct our members involved in this dispute, from 00:01 on Thursday 5 May:-

1. NOT to recognise the imposed sensitive edge door procedure and to work the previous safer instruction. i.e. go back to the carriage concerned and physically check the cause of activation.

RMT rejects London Underground pay offer

This year we put in a joint pay claim with Unite and Tssa (aslef were asked to join us but declined.) RMT, TSSA and Unite are meeting on Thursday 28th April to discuss our next joint positions (once again
Aslef were invited but declined.) RMT formally rejected London Underground's pay offer which was a five year deal. A 4 percent pay deal this year when inflation is 5.5 percent and inflation plus 0.25 percent for the next four years. We will be seeking more talks on pay and I will keep you informed of all progress made.

Tube union RMT today called for direct talks between the Mayor, unions and passenger groups, and demanded an immediate halt to tube jobs and maintenance cuts, after what the union described as “24 hours of tube hell.”

On Tuesday night the Jubilee Line was plunged into chaos through a combination of a power shutdown and faulty rolling stock and operating systems leaving over 1700 passengers to be detrained and walked through sweltering tube tunnels with the assistance of station staff. By Wednesday morning, the Jubilee Line was still in total disarray.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the result of the ballot for ‘action short of strikes’ is as follows:-

Total votes cast: 45
Number voting “Yes”: 33
Number voting “No”: 12
Spoilt Papers: 0

We congratulate our members on their 73.3% majority vote to take action to defend their safety at work. We note that Finsbury Park branch will discuss this at its branch meeting tomorrow. Once the branch has given its recommendations for action, this matter to be placed back of us.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded an urgent review of safety procedures and an assurance that crucial lessons have been learnt after an internal report into the flooding of Charing Cross station by water from the Trafalgar Square fountains two weeks ago revealed that the incident almost ended in disaster.

To all Train Operators and Instructor Operators on the Victoria Line, from Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary:

Dear Colleagues,

BREAKDOWN OF MACHINERY OF NEGOTIATION: VICTORIA LINE UPGRADE SAFETY AND TRAINING ISSUES- LONDON UNDERGROUND

Further to my letter dated 27th January 2011 regarding the issues over Sensitive Edge Activation, a number of other issues have been bought to my attention concerning the Victoria Line Upgrade. The General Grades Committee has considered this matter and taken the decision to ballot all Victoria Line Train Operator members for industrial action short of a strike with a view to protecting you from being forced to work unsafely and unfairly blamed for accidents.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded an immediate halt to staffing and maintenance cuts as an investigation report revealed that crumbling infra-structure and staffing cuts led to a potentially-lethal tube derailment last year.

The derailment happened between Earl's Court and Gloucester Road on the Piccadilly line at 5.30am on 12 May 2010. The train consisted of two locos, two wagons and a track machine.

Joint RMT/ASLEF/TSSA Newsletter following the Service control Health and Safety council meeting, March 2011. Read the text below; click '1 attachment' / file name to download the newsletter.

A number of issues were raised prior to the beginning of normal business

Breach of collective bargaining principle

General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our Finsbury Park branch and accept its proposal. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to conduct the ballot of our Victoria Line driver members for action short of strikes as soon as practical, with the title “Breakdown of machinery of negotiation: Victoria Line upgrade safety and training issues”.

RMT General Grades Committee decision on DISI:

That we note and accept the report from our lead officer for London Underground. Accordingly, we instruct the General Secretary to issue as soon as possible a circular with the following wording:

RMT is completely opposed to section 2.2 of version 3 of the D.I.S.I. that states “Generally the train operator will be the most appropriate person to assess the defect. However in some cases the controller may decide to arrange for somebody else to attend the train and carry out the assessment.”