LUL – HOT Procedure

Our Ref: HSR/2/16
Head Office Circular: NP/004/19
January 2019
To: The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague,

LUL – HOT Procedure

Further to Head Office Circular NP/111/17, 17th July 2017, this matter has again been considered by your National Executive Committee (NEC). Our Piccadilly and West Branch have submitted the following resolution to the NEC:

This branch notes with utter disbelief the “NEW” hot procedure and the potentially life-threatening way to handle lost and suspect luggage or packages.

This new procedure introduced to save time, involves staff being asked to open or break into any lost or suspect luggage and packages as well as remove them from trains and stations!

The RMT has been consulted at safety council level and our reps made it clear that we totally disagree with this abhorrent and dangerous change.

This union will not sleepwalk into a dictatorship where the RMT is told of changes rather than being directly involved in shaping them!!

The RMT will not quietly sign away our safety and that of the passengers we carry to save a few minutes on a managerial chart.

This branch calls on the General Secretary to;

1) Prepare a matrix of all LUL RMT members in preparation for a combine wide ballot.
2) Write to all members with clear and concise information regarding our members rights not to put themselves in danger when dealing with suspect packages and luggage.
3) To convene an emergency ad hoc meeting with the directors of LU and include our Regional Organiser and safety reps from trains and stations with the remit to remove this dangerous procedure and replace it with one that protects our members and the travelling public.

Safety MUST come before the service.

Following debate at the NEC the following resolution was carried:

That we note the resolution from our Piccadilly & District West Branch, and are stunned that given the contentious historical nature of this matter which places the travelling public and our members in danger; that the company have again put forward a procedure without adequate consultation, and imposed it on staff despite our H&S representatives raising serious concerns about it.

We do not accept it is safe for this new HOT Procedure which has been introduced to save time, to instruct staff to open or break into any lost or suspect packages or physically remove them from trains and stations.

Accordingly, we instruct the General Secretary to:

1) Write to all members with clear and concise information regarding our members rights not to put themselves in danger when dealing with suspect packages and luggage; such as the currently accepted guidance that if after following the HOT protocol a member of staff considers an object to be suspect, they should take the following actions in this order:

(A) Clear the immediate area

(B) inform your supervisor/control.

Accordingly, any member compelled in a contrary manner by management to open or tamper with a package they consider suspicious may wish to refuse to do so on the grounds of health & safety; and this union will provide them with its full and ongoing support.

2) Prepare a matrix of all LUL RMT members in preparation for a combine wide ballot.

3) To convene an emergency ad hoc meeting with the Directors of LUL and include our Regional Organiser and Safety Reps from trains and stations with the remit to remove this dangerous procedure and replace it with one that protects our members and the travelling public.

Safety MUST come before the service!

Members to be advised by hard copy for everyone plus email and text.

All London Transport Region branches and the London Transport Regional Council to be advised.

I am acting in accordance with these instructions and will keep you advised of all developments.

Please make the contents of this circular available to all appropriate members.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash
General Secretary