Paul McAdam, from RMT’s Bakerloo line branch, explains the history and issues behind the lone working dispute.

The first lone working strike day was on the 20 July 2007 and the sixth strike so far on 25 January. All the RMT station staff have been solid.

Lone working first reared its ugly head in November 2005, but we resisted and the plan was put in the drawer without us resorting to industrial action.

In March 2007 it sprang up again, only this time management stated that it was coming in. Our branch sent a resolution to head office that if management try to impose lone working then we would take industrial action.

Management say it is not lone working as you have the driver there.That’s a help until s/he drives away and you are left on your own on a crowded platform. This is worse if there is a service disruption. As well as the service to contend with there are angry passengers.

Yes there are many stations on the network where there is lone working (and there shouldn’t be) but the duties are different. At the three stations in this dispute, staff have no access to CCTV and rely on London Overground staff in the control room at Willesden for information regarding their station.

This part of London has a high crime rate and many staff have had incidents resulting in criminal convictions against 'customers' for such things as threat to kill, racially-aggravated assault, public order (causing alarm, harassment or distress), common assault and it goes on.

While tipping out trains, we are by the very nature in a potential conflict situation, so we need the backing and reassurance of a second member of staff to deal with the problems this brings.
So yes: in 2008 we are continuing the action to stop lone working.