Staff cuts on the Undeground.

[HM181]

Enlosed is a letter to all RMT Branches.


www.rmt.org.uk

NEWS RELEASE
15th February 2011
Immediate


RMT demands urgent action as leaked LU memo warns of “Russian Roulette with people’s lives” as train with suspect package on board is allowed to pass through financial district due to staff cuts

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded an end to the “ lies and complacency” of Transport for London as a leaked memo revealed that last week a Jubilee Line train with a suspect package on board was allowed to pass through four stations - including Canada Water and Canary Wharf - because staff cuts meant there was no one available to evacuate and search the carriages.

In the leaked internal memo, the Jubilee Line controller says:

“Last Monday 7th Feb 2011, I was late turn desk controller.LIS …… advised me that LOB alerted him to the possibility an unattended bag in the last carriage of an E/B train. He duly contacted stations ahead for staff to check this out, only to be told that due to staff shortages, there was no-one available to investigate this potentially catastrophic safety issue. The stations concerned were BER, CDW, CRW, & NGW.

Canning Town staff eventually made the necessary checks and fortunately on this occasion, it proved to be a customer's bag. Co-incidentally, Monday was the first day that saw the implementation in the reduction of station staff. This is a very serious issue and I think we are beginning to play "Russian roulette" with people's lives if this sort of failure in a "duty of care" is allowed to persist.

I was on the verge of suspending the railway and calling for the appropriate emergency services to attend. In hindsight, I was perhaps remiss in my duty by not doing so. Let me state categorically now, it will not happen again. The next incidence of this nature that occurs whilst I'm in the "chair" will result in an immediate suspension of the Jubilee Line and train and station evacuation.

In the forthcomings months in the run up to the Olympics, we cannot as afford to become complacent as the threat of a terrorist attack on the Underground remains a very real and serious concern.”

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“TfL have had the nerve to accuse RMT of “scaremongering” over the safety impact of their cuts and yet here we have one of their own senior managers warning that we are playing “Russian Roulette with people’s lives” because there aren’t enough staff left to carry out basic emergency procedures.

“This memo shows in the starkest possible terms that everything we have warned of in terms of safety and terrorism risks from the Tube cuts programme in the lead up to the Olympics is absolutely true.

“We want no more lies and complacency from TFL and Boris Johnson, we want an admission that they have made a massive error of judgment in their cuts programme and a full reversal before it is too late and we have a tragedy on our hands.”




ENDS

Further information:
Geoff Martin 0207 255 9146
07831 465 103