Train staff will be aware that Fitz Chambers was sacked on Tuesday 1st of December 2009. As a result of his unfair dismissal Bakerloo RMT unanimously agreed to ballot all Bakerloo drivers for his re-instatement.
It is the union’s conviction that London Underground has an agenda of reducing staffing levels and has an agenda of getting rid of syndicates in train crew depots. It is our view that these are the real reasons that Fitz was sacked and why he did not get a fair hearing.
The next stage in London Underground’s disciplinary process is the Appeal stage. The RMT is arranging the strongest possible defence of Fitz at the Appeal and to aid this, the union is organizing a ballot of all drivers on the Line. We wish to make it plain to management that the union will not tolerate another unfair dismissal on the Bakerloo Line. There have been more drivers sacked in the last 12 months on the Line than there has been in the last 12 years.
That is why the union needs your support and your colleagues support to re-instate Fitz. If we do not support Fitz, this will be a further green light to management that drivers on the Bakerloo Line can be sacked with impunity. We all need to take a stance now. If we don’t and management sack you, who will stand up for you?
Look at what happened to Rob Barton. Rob has had two SPADs in the last 5 months. Against the advice of the investigating DMT, Rob was instructed to attend a case conference on Wednesday 8th of December, and was represented by Vaughan Thomas from the Trains Functional Council. Against all the procedures Rob was told he will be redeployed. This is insane and a blatent abuse of not only the procedures but any notion of natural justice.
LUL’s “Operational Services Review” - management code for cuts - is that there will be savage reductions across all operational grades. Around 1200 jobs! It can be no surprise then that no one gets a fair hearing, there is no common sense or even an ounce of leniency.
A special meeting of Bakerloo Train Grades to discuss this further attack on Bakerloo Train Drivers will be held on Monday 14th of December, Upstairs in the Clachan at 15:30.
Come to the meeting!