PICCADILLY LINE NIGHT TUBE CRISIS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/august 2017 :: RMTnews 4 RMT has reacted with disbelief at the news that, despite clear warnings by the rail safety regulator, the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR), after the tragic death at Canning Town, London Underground continue to run stations unstaffed. The de-staffing policy also contributed to an incident at Ickenham on August 3 when a member of the public fell down the stairs and lay unconscious at the bottom of the stairs for over 30 minutes. It was pure luck that a train operator coming through the station saw the individual lying on the floor and raised the alarm. The injured man was assisted by customers and London Underground eventually sent staff that had to be poached from other stations - leaving them unstaffed in turn. A second incident at Preston Road on June 5 involved a person under a train with no station staff on duty. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it simply defied belief that London Underground was still recklessly running services on the world’s busiest railway through stations that have no staff available. That is despite a legal warning from the safety regulator, the ORR, and a growing catalogue of serious incidents including a fatality. “RMT will be continuing to push the demand with LU directors that where the cuts mean that there are no staff available, then the station should be closed. “How many more serious incidents will it take before London Underground get to grips with the staffing crisis on their stations?,” he asked. The union has saluted a major victory secured by members in the Piccadilly Line workshops at Northfields and Cockfosters depots as Tube Lines pulled back from proposals that would have opened the door to casualisation and a two-tier workforce. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that discussions with RMT reps regarding rostering during the three month leaf fall period have concluded with an agreement covering the next two years to allow extra lifting work due to the leaf fall season for 2017 and 2018. “The issue has been considered by the union, which has congratulated all Piccadilly Line fleet members and reps on waging a spirited and effective dispute leading to success in resisting the implementation of a two tier workforce through the introduction of 35 new members of staff on two year fixed term contracts. “Every aspect of our joint strategy has been achieved including no use of agency staff, any redeployment being temporary and solely within the Tube Lines/LUL family, no onerous rosters and ultimately, the 35 new starters now on fully employed contracts. “This victory has proved once again that the combination of a militant approach by a strong, industrial union backed by tough and skilled negotiators can deliver the goods for working people,” he said. RMT warned that the Night Tube on the Piccadilly line is in crisis with a serious lack of trained train operators available to run the service. RMT has been informed that the amount of drivers available to run the Mayor’s flagship Night Tube service on the Piccadilly Line is now so low that last weekend saw only seven trains running instead of the normal 22 – a near reduction of 70 per cent. The union understands that the situation could continue until Christmas. The impact on the service has meant waits of up to an hour for a train for customers, serious safety concerns for drivers, and serious issues for stations staff facing angry customers – many intoxicated – waiting on platforms in the middle of night. This lack of drivers is not down to sickness or industrial action but operator LUL’s lack of planning in getting enough drivers trained in time – something that RMT has repeatedly warned management about. The issue has been further exasperated by management’s reluctance to fully take on board a number of legitimate concerns raised by RMT Health and Safety reps. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that Tube bosses need to send out a clear signal that they are addressing the driver shortage issues which have reduced the Night Tube on the Piccadilly Line to chaos. “London Underground also need to urgently address the major safety and customer service issues arising from the Piccadilly Line Night Tube crisis that they have created. “ Instead of dismissing some of the key points raised by our safety reps , LUL needs to listen to the concerns of its workers and implement an urgent solution so that Night Tube trains and stations are staffed and run safely and customers get the service they were promised.” PICCADILLY LINE NIGHT TUBE CRISIS TUBE DE-STAFFING CRISIS GROWS TUBE LINES VICTORY OVER TWO-TIER WORKFORCE