METRONET STRIKE ACTION

december 2005 :: RMTnews 7 R MT members at Metronet have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action against the company’s plans to subcontract Tube train maintenance to Bombardier. The union has also called upon the government to give London Mayor Ken Livingstone the power to prevent Metronet from farming out the work following the debacle over the failure of Northern Line trains’ emergency braking system earlier this year. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the blame culture that was exposed between Tubelines and Alstom over Northern Line trains would have been enough to show that fragmentation of Tube maintenance was “dangerous, and potentially disastrous”. The union warned that the privatisation of track maintenance under PPP would lead to further cuts and job losses, including the complete outsourcing of all frontline staff. “It is simply staggering that Metronet, which controls two- thirds of London Underground’s infrastructure, is planning even more fragmentation, by farming out train maintenance to Bombardier. “That means the same crazy set-up on the Northern Line would be imposed on the Barkerloo, Central, Victoria, District, Circle and Hammersmith and City Lines, with one company running trains, another responsible for overall maintenance and yet another maintaining the trains,” he said. SAFE TRACKS? RMT Tube train operators also backed action short of strike action. If Metronet workers take strike action the union will be asking drivers to carry out their right not to drive trains over any track that has not been inspected by fully-qualified track maintenance workers or drive trains that have not gone through the normal preparation process. Drivers have the right to raise safety concerns in order to protect the safety of themselves and the travelling public. “A determined show of solidarity will ensure your own safety and that of the public is maintained,” said London regional organiser Bobby Law. EDM 794 Parliamentary early day motion 794, has been tabled by London Labour MPs calling for LU maintenance to be brought back in-house, ask your MP to sign. METRONET STAFF BACK STRIKE ACTION Early Day Motion 794 LONDON UNDERGROUND PPP AND TRAIN MAINTENANCE That this house expresses its concern at the severe delays on London Underground Northern Lines services caused by faulty train design; congratulates London Underground drivers for protecting the travelling public by refusing to work for safety reasons; believes that identifying and fixing the fault has been made more difficult by the fragmentation of train maintenance resulting from the ill conceived part privatisation of the tube; is therefore alarmed that the largest PPP Infraco, Metronet, is pressing ahead with proposals to out source its train maintenance from 2007; calls on the government to ensure that the necessary powers are made available to allow all London Underground maintenance be bought back in-house. TUBE STATION STAFF BALLOT OVER 35-HOUR WEEK London Underground station staff and revenue control staff are to be balloted for strike action and action short of strike action following the breakdown of long-running negotiations over the implementation of the 35-hour week. The union has recommended a yes vote in the forthcoming ballot. DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY BALLOT Docklands Light Railway staff are to be balloted for strike action after the union submitted a claim for a substantial pay increase to reflect the duties carried out by staff. However, the company’s response was to reduce a 3.4 per cent pay offer to just 3.25 per cent offer. The union has recommended a yes vote in the forthcoming ballot. Stop press...............................................