Why are there strikes on the Tube and DLR?
Post categories: Politics, Transport for London
|13:40 UK time, Tuesday, 22 June 2010
I thought I'd outline some of the reasons behind the strikes we could get on the tube network ...
DLR
This strike is about pay and it concerns "passenger service agents" also known as train captains (guards to me and you).
As DLR trains are automated these are the staff who wander up and down the carriages making sure everything runs smoothly.
They also control the doors and can evacuate trains and can apply the brakes. The issue boils down to the introduction of three car DLR trains.
The RMT Union believes they should be paid more for the extra passengers they have to deal with.
An offer has been made by the operator Serco and that's being considered by RMT Reps.
All Serco will say is talks are ongoing. Neither side will tell me at the moment what the offer is.
The strike is due to start at 4am tomorrow (Wednesday) when the passenger service agents won't clock on for work.
Transport for London have told me there will be a service of probably half the number of usual trains and all DLR stations will be open.
Tubelines
This dispute concerns engineers that work at Tubelines who maintain and are upgrading the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines - and something called the Emergency Response Unit.
It started as a pay and conditions dispute between those engineers and the company Tubelines.
What's complicated matters is that TfL are in the process of buying out equity in Tubelines and taking them over.
And so the RMT Union now also want reassurances about jobs in that transfer.
TfL says:
"The RMT have time and again called for Tube Lines' work to come back under public control, and that is what we are working to achieve.
"Furthermore this is an existing dispute about pay and conditions and not about the proposed transfer of Tube Lines to TfL."
TfL says it can't interfere in a Tubelines matter until they take it over on June 30th.
The RMT Union dispute that and point out that a new Chief Executive was in fact appointed by none other than TfL.
So will it affect passengers when engineers are due to walk out tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 7pm for 48hours?
Transport for London says it will run a full service and all stations will remain open.
The strike does not involve station staff and tube drivers. TfL says it "does not envisage significant disruption to passengers."
It also says it will be able to run an "Emergency Response Unit."
The RMT Union says:
"We would call again on the Mayor, who takes over Tube Lines next week, to intervene even at this late stage to resolve this dispute.If he can afford to fill the Tube Lines shareholders pockets with a £310 million pay off then he can afford to give our members the assurances on jobs and conditions that they are seeking."
So what d'you think?
UPDATE: 22 June, 3.15PM
The RMT have just confirmed that the Tube Lines strike will go ahead tomorrow. However, the strike on the DLR has been suspended pending further consultation on with members on a new offer.
Here's what RMT General Secretary Bob Crow had to say:
"Tube Lines have failed to give us the assurances we were seeking on jobs. The action goes ahead and it is clear that it will have a major impact and that there's a real danger that tube officials will take serious risks with safety to try and run trains.
"We welcome the intervention of our colleagues from the Fire Brigades Union to try and stop that from happening. No one should underestimate the safety-critical role of the tube's maintenance and emergency response crews."
"Without the Emergency Reponse Unit it would be extremely risky to try and evacuate a train deep in a tunnel between stations and with the recent spate of breakdowns and derailments only a fool would take such a reckless gamble.
"We would call again on the Mayor, who takes over Tube Lines next week, to intervene even at this late stage to resolve this dispute. If he can afford to fill the Tube Lines shareholders pockets with a £310 million pay off then he can afford to give our members the assurances on jobs and conditions that they are seeking."
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