Station Functional Newsletter - February 2018

 

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rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/stations
14 February 2018

   In a stunning victory for common sense, Manish Roy, CSS1 (formerly at Green Park) has been reinstated. Manish was sacked after an unauthorised change of duties that meant the colleague with whom he swapped broke the Framework Agreement.
Manish had been feeling unwell overnight and called in a s. He'd been due to cover the early turn on a Sunday morning but knew that if he just blew out sick that there was a fair chance the station might close. He also didn't particularly want to get tied up with an LDI, either. LU threw the book at Manish. Despite the CDI appearing to go well, with Manish acknowledging that staff must stick to the Framework and giving an assurance that it wouldn't happen again, he was absolutely stunned at the outcome when the verdict was read. It was said that he'd risked the safety of other staff and himself.
RMT resolutely defends the parameters laid down in the Framework Agreement, but this was rank hypocrisy. LU had been breaching the Framework with shocking regularity in a desperate bid to keep stations open with the new, inadequate staffing levels, especially in the period between the introduction of FFFS and RMT winning back 325 jobs after last January's strike. During RMT's overtime ban LU managers had regularly authorised multiple doubles in a 28 day period, nine and ten consecutive day working, etc. Not only were there no sanctions for the managers behind these decisions, they were positively lauded for their actions. Complaints by RMT to the ORR fell on deaf ears.
Despite LU having summarily dismissed Manish, the RMT never let the case go, and took it to Director's level for review. RMT and Manish are well chuffed at the result, which sees him reinstated with no loss of pay, service or grade.

Babysitting Stations

  As you probably know, this is a matter of longstanding contention between the company and the union. We believe the practice breaches LU’s Safety Certificate, which stipulates that
stations must be run by a supervisor. In terms of what we’re doing about it, the issue is currently tabled for discussion in both the IR and H&S machinery. At local level, while we’re not currently advising CSA members to refuse to babysit stations, we do advise that you inform your
local rep and that they take the following steps:
- Whenever a request is made to babysit, the local rep must ask for a full explanation as to why this is happening and why a CSS-grade member of staff is not being used
- Insist that an EIRF is filled out to log the fact that stations were kept open under babysitting supervision of non-supervisory grade staff
- Raise each occasion directly with local management objecting to the practise on the basis of safety, lack of training, etc.
We’re also looking for local reps to table items about this, in both machineries, and refer them if local management don’t give firm commitments to eliminate the practise (as we expect they won’t). Supporting our cleaning grades

Cleaners recruitment drive

Station members will probably know that LU has consolidated the cleaning contracts previously held by separate companies into one, under a new contractor, ABM.
RMT is using this opportunity to step up our campaign for cleaning to be brought back in- house. Although we have different employers, cleaners work alongside us and are part of our industry. RMT stations reps and activists should make it their business to help our brothers and sisters in the cleaning grade organise; the first step is ensuring all the cleaners on your station are in the union.

 rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/stations
14 February 2018

  Stations Functional Cotuncil reps, and our Health and Safety Council counterparts, have been meeting LU management to discuss staffing arrangements for Whitechapel and other stations affected by the planned launch of Crossrail in December 2018. Two fundamental issues that have emerged in the talks so far are LU’s plan to single staff the Whitechapel control room, and their proposal to introduce a CSA2 roster there. We have argued that a significant increase in the station’s size and number of cameras requires permanent double staffing as a minimum. We have also argued that CSA2s, staff who are not trained and qualified to deal with evacuations, etc., should not be used. There are also ongoing discussions about potential staffing levels, and the process for allocating CSM1 positions created by upgrading the categorisation of Whitechapel station. RMT is demanding that all existing Whitechapel CSM2s are given the option to up- skill into the CSM1 positions via training and development; we will resist any attempt to make existing CSMs reapply for these jobs. Once talks at Functional and Safety Council level have developed, we’ll work with local reps to consult members on the ground. We expect to present the company with demands for additional jobs and safety guarantees.
The introduction of “Elizabeth Line” platforms to LU stations will lead to increased workloads for
our members. Bond Street alone will see a 50% increase in passenger use and an additional 174 cameras! We cannot allow this to take place on the basis of inadequate staffing levels and reckless use of non-safety-critical staff. LU should be in no doubt that we will use political campaigning and, if necessary, industrial action to ensure workable, safe conditions for our members and the travelling public.

The next full Stations Functional Council meeting is on 28 February. The following items, referred by your Union, have been tabled for discussion:

Rostering and Coverage Tool: For dozens of reasons, it doesn't work! Local reps want the trial scrapped. We'll be pushing for that..
Rosters: On some areas, rosters have been uploaded that don't reflect agreed increases to staffing levels and locally-agreed amendments. Attendance management: We believe LU may have breached the Data Protection Act in the way it has shared members of staff's confidential medical information.
AG1 "Transformation": Cuts to AG1s will negatively impact station staff. We want a guarantee from LU that exactly the same services and support will be provided post-"transformation".
We'll also be pushing LU for answers and action on:
Ongoing breaches of the Framework.
The New Year's Eve pay shambles.
Night Tube, where we want a full review and increased staffing levels.
The full Stations Functional Council meets quarterly, on the following dates: 28 February; 24 April; 10 July; 25 September; 20 November. For help or advice with issues at work, speak to your local rep. If that isn’t possible then contact the SFC rep responsible for your branch area. (see below).

       Mick Crossey (Staff Side Secretary) – Camden 3 – 07931 570521
Neil Cochrane – Hammersmith & City, Neasden – 07947 784950 Eamonn Lynch – Jubilee South, East Ham – 07578 769943
Mac McKenna – Finsbury Park, Central Line East – 07801 071363 Daniel Randall – Bakerloo Line, Piccadilly & District West – 07961 040618 Paul Schindler– Morden & Oval, Central Line West – 07730 032665