Finsbury Park branch

LOCAL REPS STAND FIRM AGAINST MANAGEMENT TRICKS

As you might be aware, management are continuing to bully and harass staff by making up new rules as they go along and by ignoring long-standing agreements with your union. This, of course, has helped to bring about the dispute we are now in with the company across the whole combine. At Arnos Grove depot, management have been trying out a few tricks of their own (see below); fortunately, our local reps have stood firm and refused to allow local management to brush aside agreements and staff rights.

Circular No. IR/170/09, 29th May 2009

NOTICE OF FURTHER STRIKE ACTION

I can confirm that the General Grades Committee has brought forward and extended the next period of strike action in support of the above dispute. The one day stoppage previously called for over 17th and 18th June is now called off and full details of the revised stoppage are given below.

From Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary

Dear Colleague,

Some of you may have seen the editorial comment in the later editions of the Evening Standard on Thursday 21st May attacking RMT members over the industrial action on the Victoria Line that day.

RMT have asked the Evening Standard for the right to reply. As yet, we have had no response. A copy of my letter to the Standard is attached and reprinted below. Please ensure that it is widely distributed.

A couple of messages of support from passengers for the Vic line strike ...

"Strike is the only way to get your voice heard! Stand up for your rights, and beyond that, for people and workers' rights in the UK. "Wake up UK!" A victoria line commuter

"I would like to support your action re the Correct Side Door Enabler." Shoaban Nair Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Officer

RMT press release, issued today.

RMT said this morning that train operators working out of the Seven Sisters depot, covering the Victoria Line, are rock solid in their support for a 24 hour strike which started at 9pm last night.

RMT paid tribute to its members who have been prepared to give up a second days pay in a fight to get correct door side operating equipment installed on the Victoria Line, a failsafe safety system that operates on every other line on the Underground, and in a stand against bullying and victimisation of RMT members and activists.

RMT train operators working out of the Seven Sisters depot, covering the Victoria Line, will be on strike from 21.00 hours Wednesday 20 May to 20.59 hours Thursday 21 May in a second day of action in a dispute over the failure to install Correct Door Side Enabling Equipment and the continuing bullying, harassment and victimisation of RMT members.

While Victoria line drivers are being sacked for safety breaches which would not even have occurred had the company fitted correct-side door enable equipment to its trains, it seems that managers can make safety-critical mistakes with impunity. An example of this took place on 7th May at Blackhorse Road station. At about 1700, both escalators failed. The Supervisor tried everything to get at least one of them restarted but without success.

Like school yard bullies who have been given a bloody nose, managers at Seven Sisters who have for so long pushed our members around and made their lives hell, are now licking their wounds. Rather than waking up and treating you with the respect you deserve, they have been busy spreading rumours and trying to break your resolve; see Frequently Asked Questions below for a full response on some of the nonsense they have been coming out with.

Click on the attachment to read or download the May 2009 edition of Monthly News.

Drivers on the Victoria line made history on Wednesday, 22nd April, by completely closing the line for the first time ever. A rock solid strike by RMT drivers, supported by a majority of their ASLEF colleagues, succeeded in completely closing the line for 24 hours.