Health and safety

Campaigning for higher health and safety standards at work, and opposing the employers' shortcuts

Tube Drivers Take Action For Passengers Safety

Bakerloo and Central line drivers to take action over “detrainment” carriage checking

Following a substantial ballot in favour of taking industrial action over London Underground’s removal of detrainment staff, leaving Bakerloo and Central Line drivers to take trains into depots and sidings without staff on hand physically checking that all passengers are off the train, tube union RMT has agreed to call the following industrial action short of a strike:-

S Stock Train Detrainment

We note the correspondence from London Underground regarding the time allowance for detrainment of the S Stock. This union insists that all workers should have adequate time to carry out the tasks involved in their job.

We instruct the General Secretary to obtain reports as to progress on this issue, and on the issue of time for train preparation, through the Machinery of Negotiation and Consultation and to place these in front of us.

London Transport Regional Council, branches and representatives to be advised.

Blog: 2011 Census

Data from the 2011 UK and Wales census was recently released. The Office for National Statistics which oversees the process says the census "help paint a picture of the nation and how we live. They provide a detailed snapshot of the population and its characteristics, and underpin funding allocation to provide public services."

A number of reports have been compiled from the findings covering London. Notably these include the 'GLA Intelligence Unit' reports into the Labour Market, Housing, Ethnic Diversity and Health & Unpaid Care findings of the cencus.

Stations and Revenue Control Safety Council Staff Side Update December 2012

Winter Weather

The RMT industrial position is that as a working practise, staff clearing snow is something we do. However, the TSSA have a different view that they do not believe it is a job that staff should carry out
However, the safety issues including work place risk assessments, protection and equipment still remain. We continue to raise these with LUL both locally and at council level, and have also issued a special bulletin and pro-forma that is separate from this update giving advice on protection

ELCPS (EMERGENCY LOCAL CONTROL PANELS)

Breach of Casualisation Dispute Continues And May Be Escalated

We note that London Underground Ltd continues to breach the settlement of our 2008 Casualisation dispute, in particular in its deployment of ICSAs, continuing use of agency staff, and plans to introduce mobile station supervision.

Noting the correspondence with our legal advisers, we instruct the General Secretary to send a letter to all LUL members reminding them of our ongoing industrial action in this dispute.

RMT Concerns About Test Train Operation At Wembley Park Resolved

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, explaining the situation regarding train testing at Wembley Park in November. No further action is required on this matter, but it reaffirms the importance of remaining vigilant regarding technological developments and testing that may be used as a pretext to attack jobs, conditions and safety.

We note that the two resolutions from London Transport Regional Council have already been dealt with by the GGC when they were submitted by branches.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

Test Train Drivers Industrial Action Begins On December 1st

Following our test train members’ vote for industrial action, and having discussed this with our representative, we instruct our test train members to take industrial action by refusing to test trains being prepared for driverless operation. This action is to start at 00:01 on Saturday 1 December and continue until further notice.

London Transport Regional Council and branches to be advised.

Managers Guide For Assisting Staff Whose Travel Is Affected By Snow And Other Adverse Weather

This document is a guide for managers at TfL Corporate, Surface Transport & London Rail on how to assist workers whose travel to work is affected by adverse weather such as snow.

Read it below or download the original document attached.
....................................................................
Guidance note for managers
Employees affected by travel disruptions caused by snow
TfL Corporate, Surface Transport & London Rail

RMT In Dispute With LUL Over Poor Guidelines Regarding Clearing Snow From Platforms

From General Secretary Bob Crow

I write to advise branches that a formal complaint has been made to LUL on the subject of snow clearing and winter weather. The RMT Stations Safety Council has raised this as an issue with the company without resolution and has now exhausted the machinery. The Stations Safety Council has raised the following items with the ORR and the company:

  • Insufficient local, practical training packages are available and have not been delivered to staff.

Strategy Proposal For Fighting Job Cuts And Attacks On Tube Driver Conditions

As I understand it, the main current issues facing drivers are:

  • a clampdown on discipline and attendance
  • LUL refusing to confirm that Met line T/Ops only will operate the S7 train on the Met line
  • plans to deploy I/Ops on lines other than their own and/or to cross-train other lines' T/Ops or
    I/Os as occurred on the Met line
  • new drivers being repeatedly moved from depot to depot
  • the possible development of a pool of drivers covering a larger area than just one depot, or
    even one line