London Underground Ltd

We note with concern the company’s use of this means of testing for drugs and alcohol and the potential ramifications for our members of any such process to which we are opposed.

The General Secretary is instructed to seek a legal opinion of the company’s use of bodily hair samples for drug and alcohol testing. The opinion to be placed back before this General Grades Committee for further consideration.

RMT Regional Organiser for London Transport John Leach has been interviewed on BBC London News following reports of a 9 to 1 ballot for strike action on London Overground.

London Overground guards have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of a strike in a ballot following the announcement by Transport for London of their plans to introduce 'Driver Only Operation' on the whole of the London Overground network.

This document is a guideline for managers when disciplining LU staff regarding attendance. It sets out how and when LU believes a warning of less than 26 weeks is appropriate.

LU has altered it's policy on allowing drivers taking medication for depression to drive trains. Below is the company stance and forms used are attached.

LU article on the new procedure
Occupational Health revises advice it gives drivers

Occupational Health has revised the advice it gives to train operators regarding anti-depressant medication, following consultation with key internal stakeholders and medical experts.

Attached are flexible working guides for London Underground trains TOMs effective 2009

In this newsletter:

• Stations Job Cuts: Fight Starts Now
• A Ridiculous Attempt to Justify Cuts
• Station Job Cuts are not Justified
• Job Cuts Will Undermine Safety
• We Can Fight Job Cuts & We Can Win
• LU Cuts will hit All Grades

We note the correspondence from London Underground. We instruct the General Secretary to forward this letter to our functional council representatives of train, depot and service control staff, asking for their comments and any additional information they may have about this issue, and to place replies in front of us.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

We welcome the imminent return of Power Services to London Underground following the termination of the Private Finance Initiative contract. We reaffirm our view that all contracted-out sections of London Underground should similarly be brought back in-house.

We instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report from the lead officer on the completion of this transfer, confirming that our members’ rights and conditions have been protected and itemising any outstanding issues.

That we note the ballot results are as follows:-

STRIKE ACTION

Total votes cast .......59...........

Number voting “Yes” ........53...........

Number voting “No” ........06..........

Spoilt Papers ........00...........

ACTION SHORT OF STRIKE ACTON

Total votes cast .......59...........

Number voting “Yes” ........56...........

Number voting “No” ........03..........

Spoilt Papers ........00...........

London Underground management have sewn further anger and disgust amongst staff as they effectively confirm that plans for cuts are not only real but are already being put into action. Their statement, far from "clarifying" matters, in a mixture of management jargon and avoidance of the real issues, de facto confirms that the axing of jobs and ticket offices is core to the LU management programme.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: