Campaigning for higher health and safety standards at work, and opposing the employers' shortcuts
Please find attached the Special Summer Edition of The Neasden Flyer. You can read the text below:
If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the WPK depot!
Local Members and Representatives know too well how hot summer temperatures can get underground. So when you are relieved for meal break, you would expect to have your meal break in comfortable, temperature controlled conditions, right?
This memo from London Underground management, dated 16 July 2009, outlines the arrangements for clip-on sunglasses for drivers who wear specs.
Reminder Of Arrangements For The Issue Of Clip-On Sunglasses To Spectacle-Wearing Train Operators
In 2002, in order to assist spectacle-wearing Train Operators to better manage glare whilst driving, the Trains Health and Safety Council endorsed the issue of clip-on sunglasses. Arrangements were put in place for those spectacle-wearing Train Operators who wanted them, to be issued with free made-to-measure clip-on sunglasses via the Department of Optometry at City University.
1) The principal safety legislation in the land, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (Section 7) states:
The employee has a duty in:
“taking reasonable care for your own health & safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or don’t do”
2) Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended, employees have the right not to be dismissed, selected for redundancy or subjected to any detriment on the following grounds:
Refusal to work on the grounds of safety - rights for pregnant women and new mothers
At RMT's AGM, the General Secretary presents a written report, and delegates can question and comment on it. These are the two points that I raised:
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There are two issues that are not in the Report, which I think should have been.
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Firstly, refusal to work on the grounds of safety.
Following the suspension of safety reps (Jim Harrington and Clive Steadman's) email facilities on London Underground, the Stations & Revenue Safety Council has produced an open letter to all Health & Safety reps. Please click on the attachment to download a copy.
While Victoria line drivers are being sacked for safety breaches which would not even have occurred had the company fitted correct-side door enable equipment to its trains, it seems that managers can make safety-critical mistakes with impunity. An example of this took place on 7th May at Blackhorse Road station. At about 1700, both escalators failed. The Supervisor tried everything to get at least one of them restarted but without success.
To read reports on swine flu, how it affects you and what your union is doing to demand that your employer protect your safety, click here.
Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the newsletter. Read the text below ...
HMRI have written to LU raising serious concerns about the safety of the Cross Track Projection system (XTP). The railway inspectorate has told LU what your safety reps have been telling them for the past 6 months: that XTP is a distraction to drivers and is just not safe! When this system was first consulted upon, CBS gave assurances to safety reps that the system would turn off before the train entered the platform. A catalogue of lies, excuses and U-turns later, we are in the position where by the projector stays on constantly in many locations. This, as we have told LU management many times, causes a serious distraction to the driver at a time when they should be concentrating on the PTI, the combine’s greatest risk. As our concerns have been ignored we can only assume that the revenue received outweighs any risk involved.
Please see the attachment for the latest newsletter from the Trains Safety Counil on XTP.
RMT press release, issued today ...
The RMT said today that the 24 hour strike on the Victoria Line, starting at 9pm this evening, is “rock solid” after management refused last minute talks to resolve the dispute over passenger door safety and the bullying and victimization of RMT members.
LUL confirmed in announcements to commuters at main terminals this morning that the Victoria Line will be closed down from tonight and RMT expects a knock on effect over health and safety concerns that will impact on the Picadilly Line.