Defending jobs

Attached is a presentation on tube bosses devastating cuts plan.

RMT is fighting back against these plans which would see nearly a thousand jobs cut and every ticket office closed.

As the Evening Standard heralded all-night running of the Tube in London, hidden in the small print were details of the most savage attacks on the jobs and conditions of staff, and on the service to passengers.

We believe that rather than cut staff, London Underground and its parent company Transport for London should:

1. challenge the government's funding cut to TfL, and demand the guaranteed, decent level of public funding that such a crucial transport system requires
2. maintain or increase the level of station staffing and ticket office opening times; promote its own ticket-selling services rather than those of external outlets
3. undertake a major programme of making London Underground more accessible to disabled people and to communities that it does not currently serve
   

In every area, the company is either cutting jobs or preparing to cut jobs. It is deliberately under-staffing our workplaces, attacking our conditions and ‘reinterpreting’ our agreements. It wants to replace skilled workers with unreliable automation.

This is not aimed at improving our Tube but at saving millions of pounds following the government’s 12.5% cut to Transport for London’s funding.

London Underground Ltd plans

• to close every ticket office
• to get rid of nearly a thousand stations jobs (net job loss of around 750)
  

The RMT confirmed today that the union would ballot members over plans for massive job cuts on London Underground. The news was well covered in the press.

London Underground staff balloted over strike action - BBC London

London Underground workers will be balloted for strike action over 750 job cuts and ticket office closures.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said it would "fight" against the plans for all ticket offices to close.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union today confirmed a ballot for Industrial action over a plan for devastating Job cuts on London Underground.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT members have now had a chance to study in detail the proposals put forward last week by London Underground which would axe almost a thousand staff jobs and close all ticket offices across the network. RMT has also now had a chance to thoroughly examine the risk assessment documents passed to the union by the tube management.

We note the report from our Regional Organiser and share his alarm at the increase in the number of projected redundancies and the spread of possible redundancies to clerical grades.

We note that our Regional Organiser has requested feedback from our branch and representatives and instruct the General Secretary to place this in front of us when received.

We also instruct the General Secretary to ensure that our TfL membership details are kept as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

We note the correspondence from London Underground Ltd dated 29 October 2013.

We note that this letter does not give the assurance we requested that when LUL orders or commissions new train stock, these will include a driver’s cab, and instead states that the company ‘cannot rule anything in or out’.

We further note that the letter:

• refers to ‘pressure to be more efficient’ and to ‘get the best value for money from everything we get’, indicating that LUL’s decisions on this matter will be driven by a desire to cut spending and save money;