Tube bosses back RMT fears over safety by admitting that cuts mean services are running on infrastructure dating back to 1920's

AFTER MONTHS of accusing tube union RMT of scaremongering over the safety impact of cuts on London Underground, tube bosses this morning put their hands up and admitted that the cuts mean that services are running on dangerous and rotten infrastructure dating back to the 1920's with worse to come in terms of the risks to millions of passengers as the Government lines up further attacks on the TFL budget and the tube upgrade programme.

RMT underground members begin balloting today for strike action across the entire network over jobs and safety cuts.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

Ten Reasons Why Revenue Staff Should Vote YES-YES to Save Jobs

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1. Because the merging of the three revenue units into one was a prototype for these cuts. Look at the effects this has had: extremely low morale; higher stress levels; more disjointed, unrealistic workloads for management and admin. Imagine how bad it would be if this was spread to the rest of LUL.

2. Because ticket offices will be shut, passengers won't be able to sort out Oyster problems or buy tickets, so there will be an increase in assaults on staff.

Ten Reasons Why Engineering and Fleet Workers Should Vote YES-YES to Save Jobs

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1. London Underground management propose to cut around 800 station staff. This means that they are looking to get maintenance staff who work out on the operational railway attending and assisting in emergency situations eg. If a train gets stalled in a tunnel, with no station staff available, they will send out a callpoint maintainer or technical officer.

Wembley Central station stand firm for safety in the workplace

The new Health & Safety rep on the Wembley Central Group, Alan Foster has raised the issue of places of safety for staff on the gateline. On London Underground the standard place of safety is the GLAP. But when LU took over the control of the silver link stations north of Queens Park in 2007 none were put in. Management were quick enough off the mark to bring in gate lines to maximise revenue but the safety of the staff working the gate lines was deemed secondary.

Transport for London Pension Fund

From Bob Crow, General Secretary ...

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to bring you up to date with developments in regard to the TfL Pension Fund.

Actuarial Valuation

The results of the latest valuation of the Fund have recently been concluded. The valuation, as at 31st March 2009, assesses whether or not there are sufficient assets to pay for pensions already promised to existing pensioners, deferred pensioners and active members, and also sets employer contribution rates necessary to fund future benefits after the valuation date.