LU is on something of an app binge at the moment, rolling out new apps for rostering and coverage, and signing contractors onto stations.
There have been many hiccups, and the launch of the "Rostering and Coverage Tool" (RCT) app has been put back twice.
An app that makes it easier for staff to swap shifts and annual leave allocations would be very welcome. One that appears to have the ability to monitor and police staff movement, as this app appears to, less so.
LU says there are no plans to link the RCT app to payroll, or to make it GPS-enabled, but unions will need to remain vigilant to ensure it doesn't become a modern equivalent of the "time and motion man".
As for the new app for booking on contractors, this seems like a case of "fixing" something that wasn't really broken. Tubeworker is all for technological progress and going "paperless" wherever that makes sense, but the new system which allows CSAs to book on certain visitors (such as buskers) without the need for a supervisor seems to us to be a pretext for further job cuts in the future.
It seems increasingly clear that LU's ideal vision is for a single grade of station worker, armed with an iPad, capable of performing all the tasks required on the station. We wouldn't have a problem with this if a) there were sufficient numbers of them and b) salaries were levelled up. Somehow, though, we doubt this is what LU has in mind...
