Management Use Disability Rights As Cover For Attack

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

Management have circulated a document to the disabled staff network group that should ring alarm bells for everyone - able-bodied and disabled alike. Under the progressive and welcome aim of employing more disabled staff in frontline jobs, they propose to remove some of the licensing requirements for station grades.

For example, CSAs may no longer require a track licence. Management could achieve their aim by earmarking a certain number of CSA posts as not requiring a track licence, as they currently do with medically-restricted SAMFs. But no - they want to scrap the requirement for the licence entirely, whatever the consequences. So what happens when passengers need detraining along a tunnel? Or the Supervisor needs someone to accompany them onto the track? Or there is a major incident such as a crash, derailment or terror attack?

Tubeworker has reported previously management's devious plan to do away with licensing and the disastrous consequences this oculd have for job security and safety. But to use the need for more employment opportunities for disabled people as a cover for this plan is a new low.

No wonder management's document anticipates "medium-high" resistance from the unions. On the other hand, it is essential that the unions fight this with a positive agenda in support of disabled workers, and do not allow TfL/LUL to paint them as dinosaurs who have not caught up with the equality agenda.

Oh, and in the meantime it would help if our employer started treating its existing disabled staff better!

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