Campaigning for higher health and safety standards at work, and opposing the employers' shortcuts
In this edition of the London Underground train drivers newsletter 'Upfront:Health & Safety News':
CALLING ALL TRAIN OPERATORS
Do you suffer from any of the following? Bad back, neck, shoulders, wrists, arms, elbows, hands or knees. If the answer is YES to any then please go to the following link below and complete the survey.
In 2013, I undertook the largest survey on the Victoria Line (attached below) with 70% of the Train Operators (both Aslef & RMT members) completing the survey. This was to establish the truth regarding this particular ill-health.
The RMT's Trains Health and Safety council (THSC) have responded to an incident today which saw masonry fall onto the track at Mile End on the Central line.
The council is seeking further information on what could have been a very serious incident, and have written to LUL bosses for further details.
The Letter
Could you supply us with all the information you have on today's incident at Mile End Station. We gather that lumps of masonry, as large as a dot matrix, fell approx 10ft from the station roof to the track at the W/B starter.
As you may be aware our power control room members are currently taking industrial action. This action started at 20.00hrs on July 1st and is scheduled to run until the 20.00hrs on July 15th.
The Train’s Safety Council met with management prior to earlier planned action by these workers to discuss how this would impact on the safety of drivers.
2nd June 2014
Circular No IR/149/14
Dear Colleagues,
TRAIN TECHNICIANS IN THE DRIVERS’ CAB – LONDON UNDERGROUND- BAKERLOO LINE (LUL/4/4)
Despite agreements reached with London Underground and your union just over a year ago at Directors level regarding the implementation of Auto Not Permitted (ANP) while P-Way staff or trespassers were on the track, LU have decided to remove this facility without meaningful consultation with your union and without the participation of local safety representatives in the workplace risk assessments around this.
An email has been sent out to via internal email to London Underground station staff regarding workplace violence and staff assaults.
We hope that the results of this survey may lead to creating a better environment for you to work in and helping to eradicate the risk of violence towards staff working on stations.
Please be as honest with your answers as possible. Although the survey asks for your grade it is completely anonymous and will not be used to identify staff in any way.
Further to my Circular NP/300/13 of 31st October 2013 the FBU have announced that a further dispute between them and the Fire Service Employers will take place on Friday 13th December 2013 between 18.00 and 22.00 and on Saturday 14th December 2013 between 18.00 and 22.00. This strike will cover the Greater London area.
Many of you will remain extremely concerned at the health and safety implications for your members, your colleagues and the travelling public should the Fire Brigades Union take strike action. RMT are fully supportive of the FBU stance in this dispute.
Thursday 12 December 2013 will mark 25 years since the Clapham Junction Rail Crash that left 35 people dead and hundreds injured.
The accident happened when the crowded 06:14 train from Poole to London Waterloo crashed into the back of the stationary 07:18 Basingstoke service, which had stopped at a red signal. A third train, travelling empty in the opposite direction, hit the wreckage only minutes later.
The RMT have recieved a new document which reveals more details of London Undergrounds cuts plan. This newly released document, attached below, is a 'Change Assurance Plan' which gives some further insight into what these cuts, if successful, could mean in health & safety terms .
The document is very low on detail of how the proposed changes to station staffing structure will impact on the driver grade. However, section 2.7 claims that there are no changes proposed to train operations.