Steve Hedley and I buttonholed senior LU Managers today about their policy on the heavy snowfall last Monday. The radio and TV advised everyone not to travel and TfL cancelled the buses on safety grounds. Quite rightly so.

But now LUL managers have started deducting pay and leave from staff who couldn't get in. So they stop people getting in, then fine them! Has the left hand knowledge of what the right hand is up to?

Some people will be paid for trying to come in, while others are having pay stopped or losing annual leave in the same circumstances. One manager even decided to stop someone's pay, then claimed that since her pay was stopped, she must have been absent, so that was clearly a disciplinary item. This particular case has now been sorted out, but the whole situation is a mess.

Management policy is confused. They appear to say that to be paid, staff had to do 'productive work', but also that if you tried to get in for productive work, that might be good enough.

At the end of the day LUL should pay everyone. They even admit trying to sort it all out is impossible.

To cut to the chase - will you be paid or lose a day's leave if you couldn't get in? LUL are saying final decision is with your employing manager, so make sure he or she knows all your circumstances. It is at his or her discretion - they should not blame anyone else.

Olly New