26 October 2016
RMT Press Office:
RMT confirms ballot timetable for London Underground staff in dispute over jobs and safety.
TUBE UNION RMT confirmed a ballot timetable today for nearly 3500 workers a week after the terror alert at North Greenwich put tube safety right back at the top of the agenda. Station staff members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Unions (RMT) will be balloted for strike action and action short of strike action in an on-going battle over job numbers, the critical safety role of control rooms, forced displacement of staff, grading and a crisis resulting from London Undergrounds closure of ticket offices.
The ballot will open on 1st November and close on the 15th November .
873 jobs have been removed from stations leaving staff unable to cope with the demands of running busy stations. Many station control rooms, where communication and alarm systems should be monitored, have been closed.
A recent report, compiled by London Underground management, blames the job cuts and unstaffed control room for a serious incident at Canning Town station, when an evacuation spiralled out of control following an accident where a passenger fell between a train and platform.
The North Greenwich incident has underlined the urgency of the current situation.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary said,
“London Underground knows that it has compromised safety and customer service across its stations by cutting jobs. A responsible employer would reverse the job cuts and put staff back into station control rooms. If London Underground really cares about passengers it would reverse the ticket office closure programme”.
“The continuing impact of those cuts leaves us with no alternative but to move to a ballot for industrial action and the terror alert at North Greenwich last week has confirmed the urgency of the current situation and the nonsense of axing station staff.
“The union will be campaigning for a massive YES vote in this ballot and we remain available for talks”.
ENDS
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: