Tubeworker's blog

Another spectacular strike: keep up the pressure!

Our strike on LU today led to another total shutdown of the network, once again proving the power we hold as workers and sending a clear message to our employers.

RMT members in all functions and grades walked out, with Unite members on TfL and LU also striking. Many members of TSSA and Aslef, and...

Northern line joins Night Tube fight

Following the successful re-ballot of RMT drivers on the five existing Night Tube lines further strikes have been called every Friday and Saturday until further notice on the Central, Jubilee and Victoria lines, with the Northern line joining from 1 July when Night Tube comes back there.

With Night...

DfT demands shows pensions fight is far from over

It was revealed recently that Department for Transport officials have laid down the law to TfL commissioner Andy Byford, insisting he must get on with pension reform as a condition of further funding settlements.

Bernadette Kelly, the DfT's most senior civil servant, told Byford in a letter that...

All out on 21 June!

Following yesterday's magnificent strike on stations, RMT has announced a further strike in our dispute to defend jobs, pensions, and conditions, for 21 June. The strike will involve RMT's entire LU membership, in all functions and grades.

It's good to see a further strike called. It's a welcome...

Stations strike shuts down the Tube

A strike by station staff has shut down the service today, with trains running empty through closed stations, if at all.

The strike is part of RMT's dispute over pensions, agreements, and jobs. Today's strike of station staff was intended to particularly highlight and resist LU's plan to cut 600...

OT ban bites on day one!

We're less than 24 hours in to RMT's overtime ban on stations, and it's already beginning to bite. We knew it had LU rattled, as they've been broadcasting PAs informing passengers about "industrial action between 3 June and 10 July", the period of the ban, and telling them to expect station closures...

RMT re-balloting over Night Tube

RMT is re-balloting drivers as part of the dispute over enforced night working. That dispute is as important today as it was when the 2016 agreement was first ripped up, back in 2021.

When the deal between ASLEF and London Underground, which abolished the part-time Night Tube driver grade and...

Unite members vote for action

Unite has secured an industrial action mandate across LU and most of TfL. Their ballot was over pension cuts and the pay freeze for centrally-employed TfL staff.

Mandates were secured in LU, Surface Operations, Network Management Control Centre, Compliance, Policing, and On-Street Service (CPOS)...

Green Park/Euston strike suspended as progress made

RMT has called off a planned strike at Green Park and Euston stations on 3 June, after LU finally agreed to a meaningful review into management bullying.

That's important progress. But the review is only a first step; if it doesn't lead to a change in the managerial culture, strikes must be...

The Night Tube dispute still matters

RMT is re-balloting drivers as part of the dispute over enforced night working. That dispute is as important today as it was when the 2016 agreement was first ripped up, back in 2021.

When the deal between ASLEF and London Underground, which abolished the part-time Night Tube driver grade and...

No pensions changes "for several years"?

We keep hearing, for example in the latest edition of On the Move, that there will be no pension changes for "several years". Sounds okay, until, if you're 40 or under, you remember that you won’t be retiring for at least 20 years... plenty of time for changes to made made!

And for those retiring...

Tubeworker Answers Back

Tubeworker replies to the letter to staff from the company. Management's words are in plain text. Our responses are in bold.

-----

Over the last few weeks, our network genuinely feels more like normal as we win customers back to our network.

So, no need to make drastic cuts then.

The Queen’s...

Adding Insult to Injury

Nearly ten years after our unions first asked it to, TfL/LUL is finally adopting a policy on domestic abuse - though you would think from its self-congratulatory fanfare that it was the company's idea all along.

However, it has missed the opportunity to make clear that sickness absence due to...

Station staff: all out on 6 June!

RMT has called a strike on London Underground stations for Monday 6 June.

It's part of the union's overarching, LU-wide dispute to stop pension cuts, job cuts, and detrimental changes to terms and conditions. The stations strike will emphasise two of those three demands in particular, as stations...

Green Park/Euston station staff to strike against bullying bosses

Station workers at Green Park and Euston will strike on Friday 3 June against a long-running culture of management intimidation and bullying.

Senior management has stonewalled RMT reps, denying them any recourse to meaningfully remedy the issues surrounding bullying and an overbearing, excessively...

As more station job cuts announced, we must name strikes

The Victoria Centre cover group, which includes Euston, Green Park, and Victoria, is the latest station group to learn the detail of LU's plans for its staffing levels.

Euston is losing 8 CSA2s and five part-time CSAs, including three Night Tube jobs. Green Park loses two full-time CSA1 positions...

Night Tube strikes named on Jubilee: dispute must escalate

RMT has extended its drivers' strikes during Night Tube hours to the Jubilee line, to coincide with the reintroduction of Night Tube running.

Strikes have been called from 20:30 to 04:29 on Saturday 21 May, and then every Friday and Saturday until 18 June. The same action is continuing on the...

Aslef win reballot on LU

Train driver union Aslef have won their third reballot on London Underground for industrial action if “management try to push through changes to working conditions or pensions without agreement”.
On an increase turnout of 68.3% and 98.5% in favour, it is to be welcomed that Aslef members have again...

Heathrow shows scale of job cuts plans: we must strike again

Heathrow is the first station area on London Underground to learn the detail of LU's planned job cuts. LU intends to remove around a third of the workforce, cutting 10 full-time CSA1s, 12 full-time CSA2s, and five part-time CSA1s.

Whilst LU continues to stress that the cuts will be achieved via...

This Station is Closed ...

Chancery Lane station seems to be getting a dose of nostalgia, longing for the days when it used to close every Sunday - only this time (yesterday, Sunday 25 April), it was not because it is supposed to, but because of lack of staff. Wanstead also closed for lack of staff. And there were others too...

Unite ballots on TfL/LU: vote yes!

Unite is balloting its members across TfL and LU for industrial action. The ballot began on 21 April, and runs until 26 May. Tubeworker encourages readers in Unite to vote yes for action!

Unite is balloting over threats to the TfL pension scheme. If their ballot returns a majority for action, it...

Bosses' law scuppers ballot

The RMT ballot against management's disregard for proper line training has been scuppered by the Tories Trade Union Act. There was a huge majority for industrial action but less than 50% turnout means no lawful action could be taken.

The aim of the ballot was to push back against Picc line bosses...

Queen's Park Pigeons Not Resting in Peace

Queen's Park depot's cunning plan to deter pigeons is to have nets. But that means that when pigeons die, their bodies lie in the nets and decompose. Not pleasant - but also, a source of infection and disease.

Management agreed to replace the nets, but instead of replacing them with spikes as...

Piccadilly Line drivers: vote yes for action on training standards

RMT has launched a ballot of Piccadilly Line drivers for industrial action to defend training standards.

As we've written previously: "Management still insist watching a training video is enough to get Picc line drivers up to speed with the expansion and change to South Harrow sidings. Rightly...

LU pushes on with stations job cuts plans: RMT must name more strikes!

Despite objections from union reps, LU has announced that it will begin "local consultation" on job cuts plans on four areas - Victoria Centre, Jubilee South, King's Cross, and Heathrow.

This means bosses will be identifying positions to cut, and drawing up new rosters and schematics based on...

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