TUBE SAFETY TALKS BREAK DOWN AFTER LUL RENEGES ON AGENCY-STAFF PLEDGE

RMTnews :: march 2008 :: www.rmt.org.uk 10 T he £58 million half-year profits posted by the Go- Ahead group recently should be mourned as another huge loss to the transport industry. A 23 per cent increase in the group's rail operating profits underlines that the rail franchising system diverts cash out of the industry while passengers suffer overcrowding and year-on-year inflation- busting fares increases. The group's £31.4 million rail profit includes £300,000 squeezed out of the new London Midland franchise in just six weeks. This highlights that fact that rail franchising is only a success for the shareholders who are draining enormous sums of fare-payers' and taxpayers' money out of the industry. For the passengers who suffer more and more overcrowding and inflation- busting fares hikes, and for staff who have to face the daily consequences, it is a disaster. RMT members at Wilts and Dorset bus company who have had to strike against excessive driving time will no doubt take note that Go-Ahead's bus operations have a healthy profit margin of more than 12 per cent. "When the time comes to submit pay claims at the various Go-Ahead subsidiaries our members will bear in mind that shareholders have been handed an interim dividend of nearly 11 per cent," Bob Crow said. Despite these huge profits, Go Ahead is considering pulling out of the Birmingham bus market after writing off the entire value of its Go West Midlands bus operation. In its interim results statement, Go Ahead said the West Midlands business was loss making and wrote down its value by £8.2 million, despite having paid just £4.5 million for the operations in 2005 and 2006. Chief executive Keith Ludeman said that the write down was “a reflection of my style and also that of my new finance director". The ‘style’ is clearly profit, profit and profit. T alks between London Underground and the Tube’s two biggest unions over safety and staffing issues broke down when the company said it intended to continue using agency and security staff and ‘mobile station supervisors’, despite promises otherwise. Negotiators representing more than 7,500 TSSA and RMT station staff and drivers were astonished to hear that LUL intended to renege on its pledge to ensure that all station staff are directly employed and fully trained to LUL safety standards. The unions are in dispute with LUL over a range of issues, including ticket-office closures, lone working and de-staffing, which add up to an attack on safety standards and the casualisation of safety critical work. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said after finally getting LUL to discuss these matters the company went back on its promise to stop using agency and security staff on stations. “When LUL took guards away they said there was no need to worry because there would be enough station staff to keep things safe, but the concept of mobile station supervisors drives a coach and horses through the safety regime and the rule book, and passengers should be worried. “What happens when there’s a fire, someone under a train or any one of dozens of possible emergencies and the person in charge is at the wrong station or even stuck between stations?” Bob said. TSSA senior regional organiser John Page also said experienced station supervisors are a cornerstone of Tube safety. “Their key role is to oversee safe operation and cope with emergencies, and if you expect any individual to supervise several stations at once that becomes impossible. “This dispute boils down to LUL wanting to put casual staff on stations in place of properly trained Tube staff,” John said Companywatch GO-AHEAD PROFIT IS TRANSPORT’S LOSS TUBE SAFETY TALKS BREAK DOWN AFTER LUL RENEGES ON AGENCY-STAFF PLEDGE