LU cuts corners on safety as overtime ban bites

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

The extent of LU's reliance on overtime to keep the Tube running is being revealed, as our overtime ban begins to cause serious problems.

Old Street recently became the latest station to close for part of the day due to staff shortages. Tubeworker hears that several other major stations have only avoided closures because managers were parachuted in to make up the numbers.

As Fleet workers uphold the ban, the company is cutting corners with safety critical procedures.

An RMT statement said: "At both Upminster and Stonebridge Park depots over the weekend, managers without the Safety Critical License that allows them to bring trains into service were prepared to do just that in a blatant and dangerous contravention of the agreed regulations with serious implications for passenger and staff safety. Other related issues are being reported through to the union from local reps."

The Office of Rail Regulation is now involved, and both Aslef and RMT have named additional actions-short-of-strike to ensure drivers don't drive unprepared trains. For more on this, see here and here.

The incidents show that LU is more concerned about hitting targets and avoiding fines than passenger safety, and that the whole network is so chronically understaffed that the company relies on overtime.

We're fighting for a future where no-one has to do overtime because staffing levels are high enough to cover all the work, and pay keeps pace with increases in living costs.

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