RMT AND TESSA BALLOTING FOR STRIKE ACTION AT METRONET

www.rmt.org.uk :: august/september 2007 :: RMTnews 25 EDM 2002 METRONET AND LONDON UNDERGROUND That this House notes with concern the collapse of Metronet, which was responsible for two thirds of London Underground maintenance and renewals; further notes with concern that the collapse may leave a debt of billions of pounds which might have to be paid for by the tax and fare payer; further notes the success of Network Rail on the mainline railway of bringing maintenance back in-house which has resulted in reduced delays and greater control over costs; believes that bringing London Underground maintenance back in-house would result in a more economic and efficient Tube; and therefore welcomes the Mayor of London's indications that some of Metronet's contracts should be brought back in-house and urges the Government to support this position. John McDonnell MP M ore than 2,600 members of London Underground’s two biggest unions are to be balloted for strike action over the threat to jobs and conditions at failed Tube privateer Metronet. RMT and TSSA is asking members to vote to strike over the failure of the bankrupt company’s administrator to guarantee that there will be no job losses, forced transfers or cuts in pension entitlements as a result of the company’s financial collapse. “We warned from the start that we would not allow our members’ jobs and conditions to be decimated by Metronet’s death throes,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. “It is unacceptable that our members face losing ten per cent of their pensions because Metronet’s fatcat shareholders decided to pull the plug,” he said. TSSA assistant general secretary Manuel Cortes said that the job losses were the last desperate throw by Metronet to avoid administration. “As we all know, this gamble failed. "The forced transfer of staff to Bombardier was Metronet's parting gift to one of its main shareholders which will saddle passengers and taxpayers with huge ongoing costs," he said. R MT repeatedly warned London Underground of safety issues in the area of track on the Central Line where a train derailed during the early rush hour on July on a stretch of track maintained by Metronet. Up to six carriages came off the rails on the westbound Central Line between Mile End and Bethnal Green stations. Within the exact same vicinity of the derailment, RMT warned management that in October 2006, November 2006 and again in May that materials stored in a bolt-hole between the stations were not secure resulting in trains striking obstructions on the track. This union also wrote to London Underground in April demanding an investigation. LUL claimed that it had ‘investigated’ the problems did not involve any safety reps and appears to amount to assurances from Metronet that things would be sorted out. This form of self-regulation by a private consortium that exists to make profits for its shareholders seriously undermines safety. It is the third serious Tube derailment in less than four years, including the Chancery Lane derailment and the one at White City, since the privatisation of LUL infrastructure maintenance under PPP. RMT reiterated its call for London mayor Ken Livingstone to take these private contracts introduced under PPP back in- house. An independent investigation into the latest derailment is now underway by the Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB). RMT AND TSSA BALLOTING FOR STRIKE ACTION AT METRONET RMT WARNED OF DANGERS PRIOR TO MILE END DERAILMENT