An RMT survey is showing that London Underground’s promotion system is cheating staff out of your right to further your career. Our survey has only recently started, but questionnaires are coming in from station and revenue staff telling shocking tales of the treatment they received when they applied for promotion. Here are just some of the problems that members have encountered:

• no feedback after failure
• spurious or unfair reasons for failing
• being told you could reapply and go straight to the interview stage, then this being rescinded
• passing, then waiting months or longer for training
• being reminded to apply for a slot for assessment, only to be told there are none available
• successfully completing the entire application process, only to then have the job offer withdrawn
• passing the RCI assessment, then waiting for months for information about training, eventually getting a letter stating where you are on the waiting list and that there will be no training this year!
• SS1 interviews being suspended
• Recruitment repeatedly giving dates that the applicant could not attend, then terminating the application
• being offered a secondment, only for it to be withdrawn

LUL management claims that it needs to recruit to some grades externally because there are not enough good-quality internal applicants. But staff know different – our survey shows that the unfair, chaotic promotion system is preventing internal applicants achieving the promotions that they deserve.

Most importantly, LUL should reverse the disastrous privatisation of recruitment and promotion, and do its own recruiting!

RMT is determined to fight for justice for our members. We will be raising these issues with management at the working party about recruitment. You can be part of your union’s campaign. Fill in a survey questionnaire – get one from your local RMT rep or contact Janine Booth (details on this page). Encourage your workmates to do so as well. Come to our station and revenue grades meeting to plan our next steps. And if you are not yet an RMT member – join!