Tube Lines

Does the Economic Crisis Mean that Employers "Have To" Cut Jobs?

Submitted by Janine on 12 March, 2010 - 17:19

Both London Underground and Tube Lines - and, no doubt, many other companies - will tell us that they "have to" cut jobs because of the economic crisis. But a look at London Underground's history shows that this is not just untrue - it is the opposite of the truth.

London Underground began in 1863, when private companies starting opening lines. By the 1920s, the Underground had expanded into a web of lines beneath London, run by several different private companies.

RMT Pledges All Out Fight Over TfL and Tube Lines Cuts

Submitted by Peter on 12 March, 2010 - 14:23

TUBE UNION RMT today pledged an all out fight over the threat to safety, jobs and working conditions from cuts plans announced by Transport for London and expected attacks being worked up by contractor Tube Lines as they look to slash £1.3 billion from the tube upgrade budget.

RMT's executive passed a motion last night condemning the cynical attempt by TfL to smuggle out their threat to axe 800 jobs in ticket offices and on platforms.

LU Fleet branch organisation repot 2009

Submitted by Admin on 2 February, 2010 - 09:37

organise The Regional Council Secretary wrote to all branches, asking for their assessment of their branch’s work during 2009, and suggesting that they might address the following points:
- whether your membership grew or shrunk during 2009, and why you think this is
- any problems you have had filling reps’ positions within the branch’s area
- how effective your branch was during any industrial action in your area last year
- what recruitment activities you have organised

Tube Lines loses £327m claim against London Underground

Submitted by Admin on 26 January, 2010 - 09:00

LU wins ruling against Tube Lines over cost overruns on Jubilee and Northern line upgrades

Verdict comes as PPP contractor struggles to close £1.35bn funding gap

This report is from yesterday's Guardian. You can read the original story here.

London Underground has scored another victory in a funding battle with Tube Lines, the company charged with improving three of its busiest lines, after seeing off a £327m compensation claim.

Tube Lines Claim for £327M Of Public Money Rejected

Submitted by Peter on 25 January, 2010 - 20:15

Tube Lines, whose late completion of upgrade work on the Jubilee Line has resulted in numerous weekend closures, has had a claim for £327m in compensation to complete the work rejected by an independent adjudicator. Tube Lines attempted to claim the money from London Underground. It felt LU was to blame for the work not being completed on time as access to the track was not sufficient.

Death Knell for PPP?

Submitted by Janine on 4 January, 2010 - 15:56

headlines I've written the following article for 'Solidarity' newspaper ...

A decision by the PPP Arbiter in December may prove to be a fatal punch to private infrastructure company Tube Lines and the whole ‘Public-Private Partnership’ set-up on London Underground.

The New Labour government imposed the PPP at the very end of 2002, despite widespread opposition. PPP organised the Underground’s infrastructure into three groups of lines, and transferred them to private consortia known as Infracos, two to now-defunct Metronet, one – the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines – to Tube Lines.

Understanding the PPP Arbiter's Draft Directions

Submitted by Janine on 30 December, 2009 - 09:23

On 17 December, the PPP Arbiter published an important document, which may turn out to be a staging post in the collapse of Tube Lines and – following 2007’s similar collapse of Metronet – of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) itself.

It also contains information about issues of great concern to London Underground and TubeLines staff - including problems with the Jubilee line upgrade, pensions, the London Living Wage, cuts in stations refurbishments, "machine-room-less escalators", and engineering staff working across all lines.

As it is a very long and technical document, I have attempted to summarise and explain it here.

PPP Meltdown On The Underground As Tube Lines Contract Descends Into Chaos

Submitted by Peter on 14 December, 2009 - 14:10

photo by Paul Mattsson

TUBE UNION RMT today called for PPP contractor Tube Lines to be stripped of their contract with immediate effect and without compensation, and their work brought back under direct public control, as it emerged that their operations on the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee Lines have collapsed into chaos and recrimination.

RMT have no doubt that the poisoned relationship between TfL and Tube Lines has now broken down irretrievably with a sequence of events in the run up to Thursdays decision by the arbiter on the value of the next phase of their contract fuelling the case for the company to be dumped.

Tubelines cuts Hit Escalator Safety Inspections and Signal Maintenance

Submitted by Peter on 3 December, 2009 - 23:00

Photo by James Cridlan

TUBE UNION RMT today accused TfL and Tube Lines of slashing safety standards to dangerous levels as it emerged that twice weekly inspection of escalators will be cut to just once a week and the 12 week frequency of signal maintenance on the Jubilee Line will be cut to a 16 week cycle.

The latest safety and maintenance cuts on the Tube Lines section of the Underground have come just two weeks after RMT exposed moves to hack back the frequency of track inspections on the Jubilee Line extension.

RMT reps will be raising the issues at a meeting of the Health and Safety forum today – Thursday 3rd December – with a demand that the cuts be reversed as a matter of urgency.

Serious Safety Risk Warning Over Plans to Cut Tube Line Inspections

Submitted by Peter on 20 November, 2009 - 14:31

Photo by James Cridlan

TUBE UNION RMT today warned of serious risks to public safety as it emerged that track safety patrols are to be cut.

RMT are pointing to the move to halve safety inspections as clear evidence that claims by Mayor Boris Johnson that the £5 billion black hole facing TfL will not result in front line cuts are nonsense.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said: “We have warned all along that the multi-billion pound black hole facing TfL, and the financial chaos at Tube Lines, would result in real service cuts and would impact on safety and reliability.