RMT has sent the following letter to London Underground Resourcing ...

RMT objects in the strongest terms to the advert in Traffic Circular 30 for Station Supervisors (TFL7543). We object to the fact that applications have been restricted to SAMFs and MF licence-holders who are eligible to nominate, and believe strongly that it should be open to London Underground staff of all grades.

Those grades who are excluded - be they CSAs, drivers, admin staff or others - should be entitled to apply to be a Station Supervisor. There is already widespread low morale among staff due to the chaotic and unfair way in which London Underground's promotion system has operated over the last few years, and this discriminatory advertisement will simply serve to lower morale even further.

LUL informed RMT at the Stations & Revenue Strategy & Development Forum on 14 May that it intended to run a targeted campaign to fill a small number of Supervisor vacancies on five specific groups. [More here.] Due to the small number of vacancies and locations involved, it seemed reasonable to restrict applications to those with SS and MF licences, as staff without these licences would have no chance of getting any of the posts if they applied.

However, we DID NOT agree, and never would agree, that a general campaign to recruit future Station Supervisors should be restricted to MF licence holders. To obstruct staff's future career path in this way is unfair and discriminatory. We demand that this advert be withdrawn, and replaced with an advert that makes clear that any member of staff may apply to be a Station Supervisor.

Malcolm Taylor
Staff-Side Secretary (RMT)
Stations & Revenue Council