ASSAULT ON TUBE STATION STAFFING

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2011 :: RMTnews 11 London Underground has delayed the introduction of an enhanced Automatic Fare Machine (AFM) facility thanks to efforts of RMT station reps. AFM machines would enable a ticket clerk to carry out certain Oystercard transactions outside of the ticket office in public areas of a station. Of course, the introduction of the enhanced AFM facility is part of LU’s strategy to close ticket offices and was set in the background of the dispute over the loss of 850 station jobs. Anyone using the Oystercard system will know that quite often, through not fault of your own, you can be incorrectly charged for a journey. Currently you would go to a ticket office where a ticket clerk would assist and if established that you were wrongly charged refund the disputed journey to your Oystercard. The ticket clerk can only resolve the last journey, any other disputed charges have to be done through the Oystercard Helpline, a real bone of contention for passengers! All of this is done with staff in the safety of their secure ticket office and issues around incorrect charges and disputed journeys can be very tense affairs. The enhanced AFM facility coupled with the closure of ticket offices now means ticket clerks will have to deal with these situations without any place of safety. In addition, Customer Service Assistants (CSA) will be put in a difficult situation. When the ticket office is closed passengers will expect them to resolve journeys in the same way as the ticket clerks but CSA’s do not normally hold a ticket selling license. This will inevitably result in more abuse and verbal assaults on CSAs. LU have suggested CSAs with ticket sellers licenses should carry out this higher grade work with no extra payment as a ‘development opportunity’. The impact on all staff will be increased abuse and verbal assaults, increased workload, further job insecurity, further job losses and increased workplace stress. For passengers it will mean more frustration with the already under resourced Oystercard ticketing system. The enhanced AFM facility will be used to justify more ticket office closures and a deterioration in service. Our opposition to the enhanced AFM facility is not a Luddite reaction to new technology. We are in favour of new technology which improves the service. Automated systems can be used to supplement and improve existing services but not at the expense of safety and customer service. The issue has already gone before the RMT executive committee and there may be industrial action short of a strike around the imposition of the enhanced AFM. Enhanced AFM functions are a symptom of a drive to force through job losses and cuts to services. We are seeing an attack on jobs, safety and terms and conditions across the country led by Bullingdon Club old boys in the Con-Dem government and Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson. So lets do everything we can to get a massive turn out at the TUC anti-cuts demonstration on March 26 and kick start the fightback. ASSAULT ON TUBE STATION STAFFING RMT London region secretary John Kelly explains latest assault on jobs