Tower Hill Group management has sacked two young probationers Tomi David and Eva Bayford. Their RMT workmates on the group and the rest of the District Line are preparing for action to win their jobs back and defend probationers' rights.

• Tomi David has been sacked for lateness. On one occasion, she was late because LUL's own service (on the Circle and H&C) was severely disrupted; on another, she had phoned in to say she would be on the first train.

• Eva Bayford had already had her probation extended for spurious reasons. Then management sacked her for having the temerity to get the flu. Obviously, the virus should have known that she worked for LUL and left her well alone! On top this, she was punished for going home after covering a part-timer's turn even though the duty sheets only put her down for the four hours! How was she supposed to know that management expected her to hang around afterwards?!

Managers seem to think they can take away staff's livelihoods for the slightest mistake - even when you are new and haven't got used to LUL's ways of working yet. The company also takes advantage of the fact that you can not take your employer to Employment Tribunal for 'unfair dismissal' until you have worked for the company for over a year. In other words, it is legal to sack new staff unfairly - which is exactly what LUL management has done in these two cases.

The unions should be campaigning for more rights for probationers - RMT for one has policy to do so. At the heart of any such campaign is to stand up for those probationers who fall foul of management's callous treatment.

Defend Tomi and Eva!