Health and safety

Dear RMT members

Yesterday the General Secretary and myself attended a Security / Terrorism meeting (summit) with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of London.

All the trade unions in Tfl were there. The meeting covered all features of TfL operation including tube, buses, ferries, DLR, London Overground, cable car, all contractors and directly employed engineering and maintenance staff, cleaners ... everyone in fact.

The Chief Constable of the BTP and other security officials as well as senior LUL and Tfl Directors also attended.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded the immediate staffing  of ALL London Underground stations – or the closure of stations when they are unstaffed – after  another dangerous incident at an unstaffed station. 

At Ruislip station last Friday (20 Oct) as a train was pulling into the platform, a young person jumped from the platform onto the tracks. Due to the driver’s quick reactions he was able to bring his train to an emergency stop which prevented the youth being hit. 

As you may or may not be aware, your station has been picked to take part in a trial which LU hopes will involve staff voluntarily wearing a red “tabard” with “Here To Help” written on the back. This trial was born out of a London Travel Watch survey which states the following. Throughout our research, it has become clear that most passengers feel that the most critical part of their journey experience relating to staff is their visibility and availability, as opposed to their location.

RMT Upfront is the newsletter for Tube drivers from RMT activists.  In this health and safety edition:

• Terrorist attack at Parson’s Green, management response highlights shortcomings
• Not HOT, and what’s WHAT?
• Flash & dash rehashed
• Role out of training is not good enough
• Radios and suspect packages
• SPAD Rule Amalgamation
• Cab Security

Please distribute the newsletter in your workplace and share it online.

**URGENT ADVISE FOR ALL RMT MEMBERS ON LONDON UNDERGROUND & TfL!**

SUSPECT PACKAGES

RMT consider it important to note that there has been no changes to Government guidance around HOT procedures, and instructing staff to open or tamper with suspicious packages is contrary to CURRENT Government guidance and may put staff and the travelling public in serious and imminent danger.

The current Government guidance advises that if, after following the HOT protocol a member of staff considers an object to be suspect, they should take the following actions in this order:

Comrades
As you know, or might not, the facilities management company LU employed to carry out risk assessments and testing of our water have been accused of not completing paperwork. This leaves us in a position of not know which depots or stations have had 4 weekly testing for legionella and other less regular testing for bacteria such as e-coli carried out.

Tube union RMT today called for an independent inquiry into London Undergrounds disastrous stations job cuts programs " Fit for the Future " after the ORR - the government regulator - issue London Underground with a legal "improvement notice " following the tragic death of a customer at Canning Town on the 29th of  January this year .

Dear Colleague,

Further to Head Office Circular NP/111/17 the National Executive Committee instructed that advice be provided to RMT members on LUL's HOT Procedure.

Please also find attached a copy of the advice and a copy of RMT's pamphlet on 'serious and imminent' danger.

If any further assistance or information is needed on this matter please contact your local RMT representative.

Yours sincerely,

Mick Cash
General Secretary

We note the resolution from our Central Line East Branch regarding the breakdown in the reasonable treatment of our members in relation to palatable drinking water, the serious health & safety issue for staff and the travelling public regarding the matter of the air quality which exceeds the expert recognised safety limits, and the appalling disregard for the safety of staff and public in relation to London Undergrounds insistence on introducing a HOT procedure that completely breaks with established and current approaches to dealing with suspect packages.

Further to our decision NWW 11.7.17, and upon further examination; we consider it important to note that there has been no changes to Government guidance around HOT procedures, and instructing staff to open or tamper with suspicious packages is contrary to current guidance and puts staff and the travelling public in severe and imminent danger.