LUL Trains

A Directors meeting took place on Wednesday 17th of October to discuss London Underground procedures following the near fatality of a 12 year old boy. Management stated that they were not prepared to ensure that trains were manually detrained prior to going into the sidings at Queens Park. They said that they would wait for the outcome of an Inquiry that is taking place but that will not report for months.

We note the resolutions from our London Transport Regional Council, and reiterate this union's complete opposition to driverless trains.

The main request of these resolutions – to ballot our test train and potentially other, drivers for industrial action – was dealt with by our decision of 25 September in response to a resolution from our LU Fleet branch.

As the largest trade union on London Underground, and the only union representing all grades on London Underground, RMT deeply regrets that no action has been taken following the GLA investigation into the state of the Tube.

In particular, RMT is deeply concerned that following the Union’s active engagement in the investigation, and the subsequent good faith with which we engaged the Olympics, that it now appears that our members are faced with an unprecedented assault.

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We note the views expressed by our representatives at our meeting on 8 October, and reaffirm the following industrial action, instructing our Victoria line driver members to:

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.
2. NOT to sign for the new Defective In Service Instruction (D.I.S.I.) handbook and not to recognise this as a condition of service and to work to the previous D.I.S.I. book.
   

We note the views expressed by our representatives held on Monday 8 October.

We therefore reaffirm our industrial action, and instruct the General Secretary to ensure:

1. a renewed effort to promote and explain the action to drivers.
2. regular updates from reps on developments.
3. an up-to-date list of platforms with disputed categorisation is produced.
4. our stations representatives produce publicity material for station staff, especially supervisors, on this issue and the union’s stance on it.

Any developments to be placed in front of us.

TUBE UNION RMT today praised the intervention of a Bakerloo Line tube driver which prevented a potential tragedy involving a 12 year old boy

The incident took place on Monday at 3.30 pm. The 12 year old boy was over-carried (on board the train after its final passenger stop) into the Queens Park sidings. Previously these trains used to be physically checked that they were empty prior to going into the sidings. RMT objected to the ending of detraining and said at the time that getting rid of detrainment staff was unsafe.

Yesterday we reported the story of a 12 year old boy who had been taken into the sidings on the Bakerloo Line onboard an out of service train. The boy then climbed out between carriages into an area with live tracks and moving trains.

The boy managed to "shimmy up and over the ‘inner car barriers’ and out of the train. He could have killed himself as his means of exit from the train was directly going onto the live positive rail. He got out of the train into an area of 4 live running roads; it was only the actions of the driver that prevented a fatality."

We note the correspondence from London Underground Ltd and that our branch and representatives refute the company’s stance and confirm that management are still abusing procedures. We therefore instruct the General Secretary to demand an urgent meeting with LUL to attempt to resolve this issue, and to place a report of this meeting in front of us.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

Yesterday (October 8th 2012) at 3.30pm, only the quick intervention of a driver in the North Sheds at Queens Park prevented a 12 year old boy from getting hit by a moving train or killed on live 630 volt juice rails.

The boy was over–carried into the sidings at Queens Park and managed to shimmy up and over the ‘inner car barriers’ and out of the train. He could have killed himself as his means of exit from the train was directly going onto the live positive rail. He got out of the train into an area of 4 live running roads; it was only the actions of the driver that prevented a fatality.

Click on the attachment to see the latest issue of RMT Up front, the newsletter for RMT drivers on London Underground.

This issue leads on LU's proposals for driverless trains and the union's ballot for action of our test train operators, a report on TBTC working on the Northern Line, and a report on live safety issues from the Trains Health & Safety Council.