LUL Trains

Attached is the latest edition of RMT Up front. This edition focuses on the Ballot for action short of strike action on the Jubillee Line. There are also reports on the Bakerloo detrainment dispute and issues for drivers on the new S Stock.

Main stories follow:

Jubilee Line drivers to be balloted over the removal of tunnel telephone wires

Last year Management informed safety reps on the Jubilee Line that there were problems in the tunnel between Baker St and Bond Street Stations on the south bound road caused by water ingress which would entail a job major of work.

Further to our previous decision on this issue, we note that discussions with management have taken place and that although there has been some movement, there is still no satisfactory outcome. We remain in dispute and instruct the General Secretary to ballot our members in line with our previous decision. We welcome the co-operation established with ASLEF on this issue and aim to ballot to the same timetable. Reports and developments are to be placed in front of us.

From Tuesday 15th of January 2013 until further notice, RMT and ASLEF train drivers are taking action for safety.
Drivers in both Aslef and RMT unions are taking action, not over pay or hours, but because serious safety concerns have been ignored by London Underground management.
Since the introduction of a new procedure last year to clear trains of passengers before going out of service there have been thousands of incidents in which passengers have been ‘over-carried’ into sidings.

Click on the attachment to download the Bakerloo Trains news. Main story follows:

DETRAINMENT DISPUTE Report from Acas

As we move into week three of our safety dispute over LU’s unsafe detrainment process we are happy to inform drivers that our action remains solid. Drivers are to be congratulated for standing strong in the face of LU’s ambivalence to the problem.

TUBE BOSSES today stood accused of “lying through their teeth” over the effect of industrial action being taken by train drivers to protect passenger safety on the capital’s Bakerloo line.

Since January 15, Bakerloo drivers in RMT and Aslef have been physically checking that trains are empty of passengers before moving into sidings, after LUL stopped station staff checking carriages.

As we enter week two of RMT`s and ASLEF’s dispute with London Underground over their unsafe detrainment procedure we are happy to inform you that the action on the ground by drivers remains solid. Drivers are united and determined to force Bakerloo management to introduce a safe procedure for detrainment at terminus locations.

Week two of our dispute has generated a letter from Mr Lance Ramsey, the General Manger of the Bakerloo Line to drivers expressing his view that “the safety of our staff and customers is our top priority.” Let’s take a closer look at this claim.

This is the first part of a two part article taken from our newsletter on fighting job cuts. You can download it from here or request copies here

LUL management’s actions are creating problems for staff in all functions. RMT will be producing a series of leaflets giving detail, information and advice for members in each area. Here is a summary:

Stations
Station staff have been hammered since OSP slashed staffing level. Even if some posts are restored, management’s plan is to stretch us further and work us even harder.
To prepare for this, management are leaving duties uncovered, vacancies unfilled and station unstaffed, and repeatedly try to get staff to work outside the rules.

Tube drivers on the Bakerloo Line enter second week of industrial action for safety.

Angry Bakerloo passengers have tweeted:

“Bakerloo line has been just an appalling service all week. I leave my house earlier and earlier each day and appear to get to work later!!”

“I would rather hop everywhere than have to get on the Bakerloo Line again.”

“Is there any refund procedure for continuous delays to your service? Bakerloo line is an absolute joke at the moment.”

With over 3000 passenger overcarries into the Queens Park sidings last year, culminating in the near fatality of a 12 year old boy in October, drivers are physically checking that trains are empty of passengers before moving trains into sidings.

At yesterdays Health & Safety tier 2 meeting it was agreed that on TBTC lines when working a train out of service station skip would not be used and T/Ops would manually start trains at every station.

At the present time when auto is not permitted T/Ops drive in protected manual and we maintained that this should remain the case.

Management suggested that T/Ops could have a choice to either work the train in auto or PM and we have said we will take this away and discuss with the Reps on the lines concerned.

REMOVAL OF TUNNEL TELEPHONE WIRES – JUBILEE LINE

We note the resolution from our Neasden branch and the support expressed by representatives from Jubilee South branch. We share our branches’ horror at London Underground’s plan to operate trains on the Jubilee Line north of Bond Street without tunnel telephone wires for a period of up to 4 years. Tunnel telephone wires play an essential safety role, both in facilitating communication and in discharging traction current in an emergency.

We instruct the General Secretary to conduct a ballot of all our Jubilee line driver members for action short of strike action, with a view to drivers taking action including refusing to drive trains in passenger service through tunnel sections without tunnel telephone wires or suitable alternative protection.