Regional Organiser calls for improved Covid protections for operational and engineering workers on LU

MAYOR ANNOUNCEMENT - MAJOR COVID INCIDENT:

To Nick Dent, LU director

Dear Nick

As we all know yesterday the Mayor announced a Major Incident in London re the Surge in hospital use in the current 3rd national lockdown RMT feels that this has an immediate impact on the staff and their families. It is clear that the death rate is tragically very high and this is all set to continue

The message is clear "Stay at home" "Work from home" and yet LUL continues to act in another way for thousands our our members in operational and engineering grades

Train services are being maintained well above the need to carry the current load of 18%. This means that train staff and all other grades are being brought into work to carry out tasks that are currently not required. This means travelling to and from work etc.

Training with the exception of two in a train drivers cab continues. This means staff are travelling on passenger trains to and from work. Driving etc. This is increasing footfall and I think contradicts government instructions

CV staff are instructed to attend work where they could by definition be likely to contract Covid travelling too and from and therefore become ill. They are vulnerable why are LUL putting them at increased risk. CV staff should immediately be sent home on full pay

Non emergency and safety based construction and engineering work continues, involving staff travelling to and from work and increasing footfall

We believe that in light of the major incident declared by the Mayor as well as also the generalised increase in risk to our members whilst under lockdown 3, all of the above activities need to stop and also our CV members should be allowed to not attend work

RMT is also asking that the HSF Forum is returned to meeting weekly and also that we meet urgently to discuss the above and other concerns that will inevitably occur

I await your urgent response

John Leach

John Leach
RMT Regional Organiser