THIRD OF TUBE STATIONS COULD BE LEFT UNSTAFFED REVEALS RMT

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2011 :: RMTnews 5 R MT has demanded an immediate halt to the Tube cuts programme as new documents released by the union show that 30.5 per cent of stations have been scheduled to be unstaffed during operational hours. London Underground and Tory Mayor Boris Johnson have both claimed previously that no station could be unstaffed as a result of planned cuts. Mayor Boris Johnson told Tory Party conference last year that staffing cuts would leave “no station unstaffed at any time”. Yet RMT research into the latest LU operational plans shows that of 249 LU-managed stations, 76 are scheduled to be unstaffed in the future for “part of the traffic day” which means during passenger hours. The Office of Rail Regulation has also written to London Underground saying that unstaffed stations must be isolated incidents, not an everyday occurrence and not a part of normal working practice – a position flatly contradicted by LU’s latest operational plans. RMT believes that planning for over 30 per cent of stations to run unstaffed during passenger hours breaches LU’s Safety Certificate and Authorisation Document. As well as the Mayor, his Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy, his Transport Advisor Kulveer Ranger, LU Managing Director Mike Brown and LU Chief Operating Officer Howard Collins have all told the media that despite the tube cuts “all stations will be staffed at all times” – statements now exposed by RMT as totally bogus. General secretary Bob Crow said that the time for the lies and misleading statements about the true impact of the tube cuts must now come to an end. “Nearly a third of London’s tube stations will be left unstaffed for part of the working day if these cuts plans aren’t brought to a halt. “These aren’t RMT’s figures – they come direct from LU’s own operational documents. “It was Mayor Boris Johnson who told the Tory conference that no station would be unstaffed at any time. “He should now be calling a halt to the lethal cocktail of jobs and maintenance cuts,” he said. Around 11,000 RMT and TSSA members have taken strike action across the Tube network against the loss of over 2,000 safety-critical staff. RMT parliamentary group MPs John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn have put down Early Day Motion 920 against the job cuts and the Greater London Assembly and London TravelWatch have attacked the dangerous proposals. Tube drivers on the Northern and Bakerloo lines have taken strike action to defend victimised train operators Eamon Lynch and Arwyn Thomas. RMT Bakerloo Line drivers’ health and safety rep Eamon Lynch has been sacked but remains on full pay following the union’s victory on his behalf at an “interim relief” Employment Tribunal hearing. Interim relief is only ever granted where there is the clearest evidence that an employee has been dismissed on the grounds of their trade union activities. Bob Crow said that instead of harassing staff on trumped up charges London Underground should be directing their energies into reaching a settlement to the on-going disputes over tube safety and safe staffing levels. THIRD OF TUBE STATIONS COULD BE UNSTAFFED REVEALS RMT