Here are some statistics about the new Westfield shopping centre due to open at the end of this month in the White City / Shepherd's Bush area. This will clearly have a big impact on workload for station staff, particularly at White City, both Shepherd's Bush stations and the new Wood Lane station. It gives some context to RMT's concerns about the inadequate planned rosters and staffing levels at Wood Lane.

London Underground management has admitted that it does not employ enough reserve station staff to cover all the duties that need covering. This means that it either relies on existing staff doing overtime, or it leaves duties uncovered, sometimes resulting in ticket offices being closed, staff working alone, or stations left completely unstaffed.

RMT members have voted by a 5:1 majority to take strike action to stop London Underground Ltd’s plans to cut and casualise our workforce. Together with TSSA, we will strike for 72 hours, starting with the night turns on Sunday 6 April. All grades will strike together, because the issues affect all grades and because we know that when we act together, we are stronger.

We are striking because talking has not been enough to dissuade LUL management from attacking your rights, your job security, your safety and your career prospects.

LUL wants to do away with the principle of round-the-clock station supervision. It has floated plans including mobile supervision, part-of-the-day supervision, and traffic-hours-only supervision. RMT opposes all these plans, as they all take away the established principle that every station must have a supervisor on duty at all times.

RMT (and TSSA) are fighting for a very simple but very important principle:

Every London Underground station should be staffed to an adequate level by fully-trained, directly-employed LUL staff with secure terms and conditions.

Sadly, London Underground management do not agree. Instead they plan ...

To abandon the principle of 24/7 station supervision.

This issue of 'RMT Platform' urges everyone to vote Yes in RMT and TSSA's strike ballots against LUL's casualisation plans. It also reports on our successful fight against the sacking of Mukesh Mahatma, asks for support for sacked probationer Eva Bayford, and explains the unfair treatment of Prestige Coaches.

Download it here.

From the Bakerloo line RMT branch newsletter

The detrainment staff who have struck solidly over 7 days against lone working have received hardship payments from the Bakerloo Branch and will receive a payment from the national union.

This is in recognition of their solidarity and 100% commitment to their campaign against Bakerloo management's attempt to impose an unsafe and unnecessary practice.

There is a list of issues on which your union is in dispute with LUL management. But there is really only one:
London Underground should be adequately staffed by London Underground employees with safe and secure working conditions.

LUL management has a set of plans that go against this basic principle. If we do not take a stand against these plans, then we can look forward to:

• Dozens of stations without ticket offices; most of the rest with shorter opening hours.
• Station Supervisors covering several stations at once.
  

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.

LUL management is attacking your rights, your job security, your working conditions and your career prospects. Exhaustive talks have failed to persuade the company to step back from these attacks, so RMT will be balloting its members for strike action. TSSA will be balloting too, and the two unions are pledged to act together.