This is a bulletin for staff on Willesden Green group. Click '1 attachment' / file name to download it. Read the text below.

As you will know a RMT ballot for strike action took place on the Willesden Green Group.

• The turnout was 53% of those RMT members eligible to vote. An excellent turnout and more than some constituencies when Members of Parliament are elected.

• Any vote should be respected and a vote result following a 53% turnout has all the legitimacy that it needs.

• As a result of this vote 2 to 1 voted in favour of strike action.

• Many of us have had personal experience of the reaction from local and wider LUL management to staff exercising their democratic right to vote.

• London Underground is a Public Authority subject to statutory Equality Duties that are being ignored; not a “sweat shop”.

• London Underground is a unionised workplace in which trade union members are free to exercise their lawful rights.

• London Underground management is in receipt of billions of pounds of taxpayers money and the same democratic principles that elect a government that provides London Underground with its subsidies apply to the right of trade union members to take part in a vote on industrial action; free from intimidation, lies and victimisation before and after the ballot.

• Most of us have had personal experience of the management actions that have led to staff voting in favour of industrial action.

• Before, and since the ballot result was announced, many staff have been subject to further bizarre, extraordinary and untruthful statements. So effective have management been that some staff have joined the RMT since the ballot result.

• However, staff who have been approached in this way by management have felt intimidated and un-nerved.

What are staff to do:

• It is simply time for all staff to ask themselves who do they trust?

• Your local RMT rep has continuously supported and represented members on the group and been happy to assist any member of staff – regardless of their union.

• You have witnessed management harass your colleagues, invade their privacy, ignore their illnesses, discriminate against them, treat them with contempt and as if they were liars, dismiss decent people from their jobs, subject your colleagues to made up Standards and management statements and decisions that are simply ridiculous.

• Many of the statements made by management have no place in any workplace and would be simply laughable if they did not so seriously affect the mental and physical health, salaries, child care, and personal life of the staff.

• You may have heard some of your colleagues called “P*** T****s”.

• In other words anyone that is not favoured by the management is a “P*** T****s”.

• The definition of a “P*** T****s” is someone who deliberately exploits the rules to their own ends.

• Unlike managers, staff cannot
(i) make up rules and standards as it suits.
(ii) Ignore the rules and standards as it suits.
(iii) Refuse to apply the rules and standards as it suits.
(iv) Refuse to answer questions about the rules and standards as it suits.
(v) Refuse to apply the rules and standards to themselves as it suits.
(vi) Discriminate against staff as it suits.
(vii) Rely on LUL to pay the legal costs of the Employment Tribunals that staff do bring against LU and these managers.
(viii) Enjoy the support of LUL management at Director level.

Stand Firm and Support the Strike Action

Do not book on from 18.49 Wed 8th April until 18.48 on Thur 9th April 2009