RMT press release, issued today

SOME 85 station staff at London Underground’s Waterloo and Westminister stations are being balloted for industrial action by the Tube’s biggest union over the unfair dismissal of a station assistant, despite the lack of any evidence that an alleged ‘altercation’ took place. The RMT ballot will close on August 19.

Mo Makboul was summarily dismissed by a disciplinary panel in April after leaving the ticket office at Waterloo to return a pass left behind by a passenger who had been seeking a refund.

The disciplinary panel concluded that the passenger had sworn at Mo and later contradicted herself, and that there was no evidence that he had laid a finger on or been aggressive towards the passenger – but because he admitted to asking her why she had sworn at him he was deemed to have sought a confrontation.

“LUL is supposed to have a policy of supporting staff who have been abused, but here we have a clear-cut case of a victim being penalised by his employer, and that is disgraceful,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“This sacking sends just about every possible wrong signal – not least that passengers can verbally abuse Tube staff with impunity.

“It is astonishing that even after finding that Mo had been sworn at, that the passenger had contradicted herself and that the CCTV evidence supported Mo’s case they still managed to fire him.

“There is absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Mo Makboul, and so after eight years of loyal service he has been sacked simply for returning a pass to a passenger.

“Mo’s colleagues are justifiably angry at his treatment, but they also know that it could have happened to any one of them.

“LUL’s investigation and disciplinary hearings were flawed in so many ways, and the union is determined that this blatant injustice will be reversed.

“LUL should do the decent thing now and re-instate Mo Makboul,” Bob Crow said.

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For more information call Derek Kotz on 020 7529 8803 or 07939 595 092