Health and safety

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

RMT Platform June 2012

In June's edition:

  • RMT Stands Up For Agency Staff on LU Stations
  • Your Station and Revenue Grades Committee
  • ICSAs: Vote ‘Yes’ for Safety and Job Security!
  • Stick Within the Framework!
  • Wheelchair Ramps
  • Assisting Passengers With Luggage

RMT To Ballot All London Underground Staff For Action Short Of A Strike Over Use Of Unqualified Staff In Safety Critical Roles

TUBE UNION RMT announced today that it is to ballot all London Underground members for action short of a strike over the issue of the company using ill-trained and unqualified Incident Customer Service Assistants (ICSA’s) to make up minimum numbers at stations.

RMT has warned that not only is the policy dangerous but it is also in breach of the 2008 agreement that ended the casualisation dispute. The issue will be particularly relevant over the Olympics period when unprecedented numbers of people will be using the tube

RMT Warns Of “Potentially Lethal” Olympics Rail Proposals

RAIL UNION RMT today registered its total opposition to last minute Olympics rail proposals which the union says are designed to cut corners on existing safety procedures in the event of a broken down train with potentially lethal consequences.

At today’s Traffic Operations Management Standards Committee (TOM SC) proposals were bounced on union reps for temporary working arrangements for failed trains for the duration of the Olympics.

RMT To Ballot For Action Short Of Strike At LU As Union Believes Use Of Under-Trained Volunteers During Olympics Risks Safety

LONDON UNDERGROUND'S BREACHES OF CASUALISATION DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

We note the report from our Regional Organiser, and reiterate our opposition to the counting of ICSAs towards minimum staffing numbers for stations, as this:

  • puts passengers and staff at risk by putting the safe running of stations in the hands of minimally-trained volunteers
  • is dangerous at all times, but especially during periods of heavy congestion eg the Olympics
  • breaches the settlement of our Casualisation dispute in 2008

Staff Assisting Members Of The Public With Luggage

From RMT & TSSA representatives on the Stations And Revenue Control Safety Council

Following on from an incident, can we remind staff that they should take extra care if they help members of the public with their luggage.

It is not in your job description. We are not porters. We don't have handling training, and most importantly, if you get injured, it will NOT go down as an accident on duty and you could receive a warning (as what happened in the quoted incident).

Stations and Revenue Control Safety Council Staff Side Update June 2012

From RMT & TSSA representatives on the Stations And Revenue Control Safety Council

Multi OLBI’S Sites (station back up power)

Rule book 12, emergency response to power failure - “Where a station has more than one OLBI, it might not be needed to shut the whole station to customers. If any part of the station which is not covered by the defective OLBI can be closed to customers, then the rest of the station may be able to remain open”.

London Bus Strike, Friday 22nd June

From RMT & TSSA representatives on the Stations And Revenue Control Safety Council

Many of you will be aware that all bus companies serving London may be on strike this coming Friday (at the time of writing this a deal may be be on offer).

We met with management today to raise concerns about overcrowding on stations and the knock on effect. Management have stated that they feel the existing arrangements in place for crowd control are acceptable.

RMT Early Day Motions On Taxi Issues

RMT’s Parliamentary group has submitted Early Day Motions on three issues that are very important to our taxi driver members.

Please take a couple of minutes to contact your MP to urge him/her to sign these motions. This will help our campaigns to defend our taxi driver members’ livelihoods (as well as helping the environment, congestion reduction and public safety!).

EDM59 – London Taxis and the Olympic Route Network

That this House notes the inevitable pressures on London's transport network throughout the Olympic Games; further notes that the Olympic Route Network is an important component of transport plans for the Olympics;

RMT Reiterates Concerns As LU Plan To Use Minimally Trained Staff To keep Stations Open During The Olympics

We instruct the General Secretary to make preparation for a ballot for industrial action short of strikes

We note that London Underground intends to count ‘Incident Customer Service Assistants’ towards minimum numbers for station staffing, despite the fact that these are not station staff and have minimal training. This union reaffirms our opposition to this, and notes that we are already in dispute with LUL about this matter, which has been referred to ACAS.