Bakerloo branch

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.

We believe that railway employers are increasingly using agencies such as Trainpeople, in order to casualise the workforce, prepare for job cuts, and undermine our power to take effective strike action. The use of agencies is part of the employers’ and government’s strategy for pursuing the McNulty proposals.

We believe that every railway worker is entitled to a permanent, secure job. We therefore demand an end to the use of agencies, with their employees offered direct employment with the railway company at which they work.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

I have received reports that agency workers employed by Trainpeople.co.uk engaged on Grand Central Railways and London Underground’s Bakerloo Line contracts have not been paid for the second month running and have been excluded from the Agency Worker Regulations by Trainpeople.co.uk, who are using the Swedish derogation contract model to employ our members.

We note the issues raised by a member who works for the agency ‘Trainpeople’, the legal advice received, and that this employer argues that it is exempt from regulations concerning agency workers, as it is using the ‘Swedish Derogation Model’. We instruct the General Secretary to:

• provide our legal adviser with the further information requested, and place in front of us the further advice that will result
• provide full support to this member and others who are challenging the unacceptable practices of this and other agencies
  

There were six motions at the LGBT conference this year. All were passed. The motion "International LGBT Rights" and "Diversity Role Models: tackling homophobia through education" were voted to go before the unions AGM. The others will be discussed by the unions Executive.

The Bakerloo Branch unanimously agreed the following resolution at its meeting on the 8th of May:

"The Bakerloo Branch notes that our Union Learner Rep, Clive Protheroe is facing a CDI (disciplinary hearing) for an error he committed in February 2012.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded an independent investigation into London Underground maintenance and staffing cuts after photographic evidence emerged suggesting that the train that hit the buckled lining on the Bakerloo Line in Thursday mornings rush hour came within inches of being ripped open like a sardine can with potentially lethal consequences.

Click on the attachment to see the latest edition of Bakerloo News.

Main stories follow:

Management renege on 2008 Silverlink deal

Following a dispute by station staff on the Wembley Central Group in 2007/2008 involving a number of days of solid strike action, management moved from no station supervisors at the smaller stations to agreeing to phase out agency staff, have station supervisors on all stations during traffic hours and end the practise of security guards opening and closing stations. Although this did not satisfy our demands that the Ex-silverlink stations should be in line with LUL staffing it was a huge move from no staffing. Management now want to tear up that agreement on traffic hours Supervision.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from our Bakerloo branch, and the report now received from our lead officer on talks with London Underground about the use of agency and security staff, at which our representatives pressed the company to replace the use of agency staff and security guards with permanent, directly-employed jobs on LU’s ex-Silverlink stations.