LIFTING THE LID ON LONDON BRIDGE CHAOS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2015 :: RMTnews 14 R MT has exposed a catalogue of faults left behind by contractors working on the £500 million redevelopment of London Bridge which have been the catalyst to the chaos and overcrowding at the station. Senior RMT officials have identified the poor installation of new track and signalling layout, incorrect procedures followed, dangerous corners cut, union concerns ignored and Network Rail engineers left to correct contractor faults. Meaningless and fantasy computer models also underestimated traffic and footfall used to justify plans. Works at the station have been undertaken by a variety of contractors and sub-contractors with Balfour Beatty the main firm on the track remodelling and Costains in charge of the overall station redevelopment. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that RMT had warned from the off that the continuing chaos at London Bridge could be tracked back to the fragmentation and privatisation of the railways with its myriad of contractors and sub- contractors and the drive to cut corners and rush through important works in the interest of meeting financial targets and protecting profits. “The catalogue of faults identified by our reps is breath- taking and, alongside the abject failure to listen to our members who understand how a railway works, shows that the continuing chaos and overcrowding at London Bridge was entirely predictable. “Even though RMT blew the whistle on this right from the off at no point since the pictures of the dangerous situation emerged have our reps and our members been asked for their views by the DfT and the politicians who are posing about claiming that they are tackling the crisis. “We were ignored at the start and we are still being ignored now and our demand for a summit on the growing safety and overcrowding scandal on our transport services has fallen on deaf ears. “RMT will continue to expose the truth while those responsible offer nothing but PR stunts and sticking plaster solutions,” he said. He said that the voices and the warnings of staff on both rail and tube were being ignored by senior managers who the union believes are engaged in an orchestrated and politically- motivated cover up of the risks and the facts in pursuit of a cuts agenda. “That dangerous ignorance has to stop before we have a major disaster on our hands. "We have seen too often what happens when officials, politicians and authorities conspire to ignore whistle blowers and cover up the truth. “RMT will fight to stop that scenario developing any further in our transport services,” he said. LIFTING THE LID ON LONDON BRIDGE CHAOS Farce traced back to the fragmentation and privatisation of the railways with myriad of contractors and sub-contractors