Tubeworker recently reported that brand new CSAs are being sent onto stations with bare minimum uniform and equipment - no coats, no keys, no name badges.
But recently some CSAs have been turned away from stations because they haven't even been given operational licences at the end of their training. The new staff were baffled about the pieces of paper they were being asked for - noone mentioned operational licences during their training.
This shows again how LU are eroding the importance of our licences and training.
LU hate that their stations need minimum numbers of staff on duty to stay open; they hate that these staff must be fully licensed and trained.
They hate the fact that stations sometimes close due to staff shortage. And most of all, they hate that we have power to close stations during strikes.
Their solution? Water down existing staffs' training. And train up an army of strike-breakers, Incident Customer Service Assistants, on a two-day training course and give them a licence that is barely worth the paper it is written on.
LU insist ICSAs can be part of minimum numbers on stations during the Olympics. RMT is in dispute over this. All stations RMT members will be receiving a ballot paper any day, to be returned by 19th July.
Vote 'Yes!' We need to stand up to say our operational licences demonstrate training and knowledge of safety procedures. If we allow ICSAs to work on stations then we can say goodbye to effective industrial action in the future....and ultimately our jobs.