Cuts leave tube stations unstaffed on 439 occasions in the past 6 months.

ON THE eve of the election, transport union RMT warned Londoners that cuts are already leaving tube stations unstaffed on a regular basis creating dangerous travelling conditions and with far worse to come if Tory Mayor Boris Johnson bulldozes through his plans to axe a further 800 station posts.

The latest figures obtained by RMT show that from October 2009 through to March 2010 surface level stations on the District, Central, Metropolitan, Circle & Hammersmith and Northern Lines were left unstaffed for entire shifts on a total of 439 occasions. One station, Mill Hill East, was left unstaffed for 95 entire shifts.

Current cuts plans being implemented by London Underground would see up to 800 ticket office, station and platform staff jobs axed creating a wave of ticket office closures and ushering in a culture of unstaffed tube stations, particularly late at night.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

As Londoners prepare to vote they need to be aware that a Tory Mayor, who promised no cuts to station staff and no ticket office closures, is smuggling through reductions in staffing numbers that will have lethal consequences for the travelling public. The muggers paradise of unstaffed stations is already a reality across whole swathes of the tube system as these new figures demonstrate.

They already have proposals on the table that will force tube drivers to pull away from stations without working mirrors or cameras and without the assistance of platform staff. It is only a matter of time before a passenger is dragged under a tube train as a consequence of these reckless cuts.

Tory Mayor Boris Johnson has ripped up his promise to Londoners on tube staffing and voters need to take note of that on Thursday. RMT remains committed to fighting the jobs carnage on the tube and we will continue to fight for safe staffing levels on behalf of both our members and the travelling public.

RMT condemns “death trap” proposals for tube train operation

TUBE UNION RMT today slammed proposed changes to London Underground train operations that the union has warned would turn station platforms into "death traps."

Proposals submitted to RMT safety reps at the Trains Health and Safety Council (THSC), and titled the Operation Effectiveness Programme (OEP), would involve:

• Using the planned cuts to station and platform staff as an excuse for trying to bulldoze through unsafe working practices on drivers.

• Forcing drivers to use trains with defective mirrors and monitors without the assistance of platform staff to ensure that platforms are clear of passengers with the risk that passengers could get dragged under trains.

• Forcing drivers to "detrain" (evacuate) stalled trains without station staff assistance and without the support of station staff carrying emergency lighting and loudhailers. Drivers would be forced to evacuate up to 1000 people, including passengers in wheelchairs and children in buggies, without assistance.

• Forcing drivers to "notch-back" (reverse) in the event of a platform overrun without the current requirement to change ends.

RMT today blamed London Underground and the Tory Mayor Boris Johnson for trying to ram through unsafe working practices as the real consequences for public safety of axing hundreds of station and platform staff to save money become clear.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"Boris Johnson is the Tory politician with the most power in this country today and if you want to know what a Cameron government would be all about you only have to look at the attack on passenger safety that is being unleashed on the tube as part of the Mayors multi-billion pound cuts plans.

"We warned that the cuts to station staff would have lethal consequences right across the London Underground and these plans to try and force drivers to accept unsafe working practices ram that point home loud and clear. RMT will fight these proposals all the way."

RMT announces industrial action in two separate disputes on London Underground

TUBE UNION RMT today confirmed industrial action in two separate disputes with TfL employers:

• EDF Energy Powerlink

EDF RMT members are incensed with a pay offer of around only 1% with productivity. Since the announcement of an overwhelming ballot result in favour of action no improved offer has been forthcoming.

As a result, EDF RMT members have been instructed not to book on for any duty between 19.59 hours on 22^nd December and 07.59 hours on 24^th December nor for any duty between 19.59 hours on 26^th December and 07.59 hours on 27^th December 2009.

In addition to the above stoppages of work a continuous work to rule and overtime ban will be in operation from 20.00 hours on 22^nd December 2009 until further notice.

RMT has also been informed that Unite members have been balloted and will be taking the same action as ourselves at the same times.

• LUL Willesden Green Group Station Staff

RMT members on the Willesden Green Group have returned a magnificent vote in favour of industrial action in support of the reinstatement of their colleague, Colleen Johnston.

RMT had been hoping that management would see sense and reinstate her on appeal, but they have failed to do so.

The union has therefore decided to use the mandate for industrial action and our members on the group have been instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between 04:59 and 23:59 on Wednesday 23^rd December 2009.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said today:

"Our EDF Powerlink members are furious at the failure of the company to make a meaningful pay offer. Instead of entering into serious talks they have run to the courts and have wheeled out the anti-union laws in an attempt to shackle RMT. Unless we receive a positive offer this action will go ahead and the consequences for the Underground will be serious.

"The strike action on the Willesden Green Group is a response to a straightforward victimisation of RMT member Colleen Johnston who has a well-earned reputation for standing up for her workmates. That is why the company want to get rid of her. The trumped up charges are outrageous and RMT will not tolerate these kind of attacks on our members."

144 ticket offices and 1200 jobs under threat as Boris Johnson rips up manifesto pledge on tube cuts

TUBE AND TfL union RMT today released new information which exposes the full extent of the first wave of cuts under Boris Johnson’s £5 billion tube savings programme with 144 station ticket offices and 1200 jobs under threat of the axe.

In the first phase of LUL’s “Operational Services Review” – management code for the cuts machinery – savage reductions are being proposed across the tube network. Only main terminals will retain a full ticket office function, smaller central stations will have ticket offices open at peak times with the remainder – 144 stations – reduced to ticket machines only.

Station staff numbers will be reduced by up to 1200 with RMT warning that safety and security of the travelling public will be seriously compromised as LU drive towards unmanned operation of stations. An interim report on the planned cuts is expected before Christmas with implementation by April 2010.

In his 2008 manifesto, London Mayor Boris Johnson, who also Chair’s TfL, said that he would make transport more convenient; “By halting the proposed ticket office closures, and ensuring there is always a manned ticket office at every station.”
Boris Johnson was also photographed during the 2008 campaign at a protest against ticket office closures in Harrow and signed the petition organised by Passengers United Against Ticket Office Closures.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said today:

“The savage cuts to jobs and ticket offices exposed by RMT today show that all the pledges about services to passengers being protected from the £5 billion cuts programme are worthless.

“Boris Johnson, the Chair of TfL, was elected by Londoners on an explicit manifesto pledge to ensure a manned ticket office at every station. RMT challenges the Mayor to stick by that pledge and demand the binning of this cuts plan or stand exposed as a hypocrite who rips up key manifesto commitments to the voters who put him into office.

“The job cuts planned for underground stations would leave passengers dangerously exposed in the event of an emergency and would ratchet up the dangers for the public, particularly women, travelling late at night. It is clear from these plans that LU bosses are pushing towards unmanned operation of stations regardless of the risks.

“RMT will mobilise a campaign to stop these cuts and this union will take whatever action is required to defend our members jobs and a safe and efficient service for the travelling public. The pressure is now on Boris Johnson to stick to his word and ensure that this plan is ditched.”