Health and safety

RMT suspends first phase of strike action in tube safety dispute.

Tube union RMT confirmed today that a first phase in a programme of industrial action involving nearly 1500 maintenance and renewals staff on London Underground and Tube Lines, in a fight over basic safety issues relating to what are known as “Section 15 possessions”, has been suspended after the union received confirmation that changes will be put on hold for two weeks to allow for a comprehensive safety review.

RMT announces seven blocks of strike action by tube maintenance staff in fight over safety

TRACK PATROLLING, CLEHSAR STAFF – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/1) Further to my previous Circular (IR/011/16, 14th January 2016), members will be aware of the dispute situation with London Underground over its decision to train Cleshar Staff to undertake track patrolling duties.

The ballot papers were posted out to affected members on Tuesday 19th January and the closing date for this ballot is Tuesday 2nd February 2016. I will keep you advised of all further developments.

Tube union RMT today blasted the “poisonous cocktail of cuts and overcrowding as an FOI request by the website London Loves Business revealed an increase in over 400% in platform injuries on London Underground.

The research shows that in 2003, a grand total of 56 “Platform/Train Interface” incidents were recorded. This number has increased every year to 2014 (the last full set of figures available), when an astonishing 298 such incidents were recorded.

This is an increase in the number of accidents of 432% overall.

An RMT spokesperson said; "Late last night RMT reps received a guarantee from the LU chief rolling stock engineer that the root cause of the fault on the Piccadilly Line doors has been identified and tests to assure the safety of the fleet by the appropriate specialists have been carried out.

SECTION 15 – POSSESSIONS – LONDON UNDERGROUND and SECTION 15 – POSSESSIONS – TUBE LINES AP JNP (LUL/22/2)

As Branches and members will be aware, a dispute situation currently exists between us, LUL and Tube Lines AP JNP in respect of the above. I can advise that the ballot papers will be posted out to members on Wednesday 13^th January 2016, the closing date for this ballot is Thursday 28^th January 2016 and I will keep you advised of all further developments.

RMT's London Transport Regional Organiser John Leach has written to London Underground to reiterate the unions demand that plans to cut hundreds of front line jobs be ditched following the recent violent attack at Leytonstone station.

Leytonstone station which was the scene of Saturdays horrific knife attack, will lose half its rush hour staff from February under proposed new rosters. The Leytonstone cuts are part of an overall package from early next year which would strip 838 front-line, uniformed station staff out of the tube system.

RMT demands moratorium on station job cuts as union reveals that Leytonstone will lose half its rush hour staff in February.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded that London Underground halt its station job cuts programme as the union revealed that Leytonstone station, scene of Saturdays horrific knife attack, will lose half its rush hour staff from February under proposed new rosters. The Leytonstone cuts are part of an overall package from early next year which would strip 838 front-line, uniformed station staff out of the tube system.

RMT warns of continuing tube overcrowding danger as it emerges that Oxford Circus was closed 112 times in past year

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"The news today that Oxford Circus has had to be closed 112 times in the past year due to severe overcrowding is the clearest warning yet that the tube netwo‎rk is bursting at the seams. It also confirms that the only buffer between that overcrowding and a major tragedy is station and platform staff taking life-or-death decisions to manage the massive pressure on the system. 

M DOOR ALARM PROCEDURES, JUBILEE LINE – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/10)