DISMISSAL, G. NJAKA – LONDON UNDERGROUND

Our Ref: LUL/4/1

 

8^th May 2024

 

Dear RMT Member,

 

DISMISSAL, G. NJAKA – LONDON UNDERGROUND

 

In February I advised the Company that a dispute situation exists over the dismissal of your Oxford Circus Area CSA colleague Gerald Njaka. RMT members at Oxford Circus Area returned a huge vote in favour of taking industrial action over this complete injustice and solidly supported strike action last weekend.

 

The National Executive Committee has considered this matter again and taken the decision that it is time to escalate this dispute and ballot all CSA, CSS and CSM members in the Bakerloo South Cover Group after LUL failed to reinstate Gerald at his appeal. Your ballot paper will be posted on Wednesday 15^th May and the closing date for the ballot is Thursday 30^th May. If you do not receive your ballot paper by Tuesday 21^st May, please contact the RMT Freephone Helpline on 0800 376 3706 or info@rmt.org.uk.

 

The facts of this case are that Gerald was assisting a customer to refund an Oyster card and during the transaction, the customer left to use the toilet. Gerald completed the transaction but the customer never came back. At a fact-finding interview Gerald acknowledged that he had made a mistake in refunding the Oyster card without the customer present, and explained what he would do differently in the future. He returned the £2.40, which he still had in his possession, and this was deposited in a POM. The investigating manager subsequently decided to send Gerald to CDI on a gross misconduct charge.

 

This dismissal is significantly out-of-proportion to the offence, particularly as Gerald has a previously unblemished disciplinary record. Also, other relevant comparator cases from across LUL, with almost identical circumstances, have been dealt with locally rather than at CDI.

VOTE 'YES' FOR STRIKE ACTION

VOTE 'YES' FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION SHORT OF STRIKE 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary