Your Stations and revenue reps discovered back in June 2009 that LU planned to keep at least 150 vacancies on all groups in an attempt to drive down its staffing costs. Your functional reps challenged this new policy of reducing staffing levels and the lack of any consultation over its strategy and referred the issue to an ad-hoc directors meeting which was ‘swiftly’ arranged some 3 months later!

We argued with management that the refusal to fill vacancies has a huge impact on the Transfer and promotion policy, flexible working arrangements, hardship moves and takes away positions that medically restricted staff can move into, thus impacting not only Station & Revenue staff but train staff too who find themselves in the unfortunate position of being medically restricted from their normal duties.

During those 3 months Director Penny Hazel & Dave Proffitt the illustrious Performance manager for station staff on the Bakerloo disappeared off to some back room office to hatch a plan which has been labelled Operations Strategy Plan (OSP) or company plan mark 2 as its being called.

This OSP has until the 18th December to be completed and will affect all operational staff if/when it is implemented next year. Rumours are rife as to what will be included but you can guarantee it will be a continuation of staff cuts and a reduction in our conditions. We have been told ‘off record’ that there is going to be a reorganising of groups with the Bakerloo reduced to a north and south group which will mean not only 2 x GSM’s going and 10 x DSM’s going but will mean reserve staff covering many more stations and increase their travelling time to & from work. Line cover is being talked about and the system of mobile supervisors on non-section 12 stations is also a real possibility under this OSP.

LU also plan to attack the licensing system on the underground next year and would pave the way for all staff only being Competent assured which in turn would enable a manager to basically decide who was able to do what job and therefore open the floodgates to temporary workers on fixed term contracts which would destroy our pensions and any collective bargaining power we as a trade union have. LU are on the attack and are planning to smash all Unions before the Olympics come around. Now is the time to organize and start fighting back as if it doesn’t start now it will be too little too late!